Nike Stock Jumps As Analyst Upgrade Praises Brand Revival — Retail Bulls Excited About The Long Run

Shares of Nike (NKE) jumped more than 5% on Monday after the sportswear giant got an upgrade from Jefferies praising the company’s recent efforts to revitalise the brand, lifting retail sentiment.

Jefferies upgraded Nike to ‘Buy’ from ‘Hold’ with a price target of $115, increased from $75, The Fly reported.

According to the analyst firm, Nike is its new “top-pick” after its new CEO Elliott Hill’s recent strategic moves to address product and distribution issues “head-on, positioning the brand to again outgrow the market and take back lost share."

The analyst added its survey shows that Nike's brand remains very strong, reflective its issues were “self-inflicted and competitive threats are less severe,” said the report.

Jefferies predicted a "V-shaped" earnings and margin recovery for Nike in fiscal 2027, beating consensus estimates. The recovery would increase the stock's valuation at much higher levels.

Sentiment on Stocktwits inched up in the ‘bullish’ zone. Message volume also climbed to ‘high’ from ‘normal.’

One bullish comment noted $85 is the new resistance level, suggesting the next level would be $100.

Another commenter called the stock a long-term play.

Last week, Nike announced a partnership with celebrity Kim Kardashian's apparel company SKIMS to launch NikeSKIMS, an exclusive line focused on apparel, footwear, and accessories as part of Nike’s focus on innovation and “inclusivity.”

NikeSKIMS plans to launch its first collection in the U.S. at select retail locations this spring, followed by a global expansion push in 2026.

Nike’s CEO had highlighted the company’s return to sports and its athlete roots warning of turnaround challenges that lie ahead at the time of its latest quarterly earnings release.

Nike’s quarterly earnings beat Wall Street estimates but shares fell due to guidance numbers and turnaround challenges.

Nike’s earnings per share of $0.78 beat consensus estimates of $0.63 while revenue stood at $12.35 billion, beating the $12.11 billion expected by Wall Street.

Nike has said it expects a low-double-digit percentage decline in its Q3 revenues, significantly higher than the 8% decline expected by analysts. Its gross margins are expected to fall by 300-350 basis points.

Nike stock is up 6% year-to-date.

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