Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE) heads into its fourth-quarter earnings report with investor attention shifting away from the quarter itself and toward management’s outlook for fiscal 2027.
In a research note released Wednesday, Bank of America Securities (BofA) maintained its Neutral rating on the footwear giant with a price forecast of $55.
Analyst Lorraine Hutchinson said investors are expected to focus more on Nike’s forward guidance than on its fourth-quarter performance.
The firm maintained a Neutral rating, saying earnings estimates appear to be nearing a bottom, but the timing of a sustained sales recovery remains uncertain amid China’s reset, sportswear category normalization, and volatile macroeconomic conditions.
While product innovation and North America remain bright spots, BofA said visibility on a sales rebound in China and stabilization in Europe is less clear.
Leadership Transition and Tariff Boosts
Nike announced David Denton will join the company as chief financial officer, effective August 17, bringing public company expertise from prior CFO roles at Pfizer, Lowe’s and CVS Health. Matt Friend will step down concurrently with Denton’s appointment.
The analyst noted that fourth-quarter results will benefit from a one-time tariff refund. Excluding this benefit, projected performance remains broadly in line with prior company guidance.
BofA models fourth-quarter earnings per share at 11 cents, matching consensus expectations, based on an estimated 3% decline in quarterly revenue.
Wholesale Performance Under Monitoring
BofA indicators suggest that slower-than-expected wholesale sell-through continues to warrant caution following management commentary during the third-quarter conference call.
Analysts look for updates on wholesale trends, citing risks that prolonged weakness could lead to elevated discounting, product buybacks, or reduced reorders.
Additional headwind exposure remains for North American sales trends heading into the second quarter of fiscal 2027, as Nike laps a prior 24% wholesale growth period driven by off-price channel inventory.
Near-Term Softness Expected in China
The research firm projects a sharper slowdown in the Greater China region, modeling a 20% decline in fourth-quarter sales. According to the note, Nike continues to pull back on digital promotions and reduce wholesale sell-in within the region.
Valuation and Outlook Inflection Timeline
Nike trades at a forward price-to-earnings multiple of 22.6 times, down from 31 times prior to the previous quarterly earnings release.
While BofA acknowledged encouraging early indicators within the running category and stable North American demand, the firm anticipates a definitive sales inflection remains several quarters away, limiting immediate opportunities for multiple expansion.
Gross margin improvements are projected to begin expanding in the second quarter of fiscal 2027 as tariff impacts subside.
Nike Earnings Estimates
Nike is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter earnings on June 30. Analysts expect earnings per share of 12 cents and revenue of $10.85 billion, according to Benzinga.
In the third quarter, Nike reported earnings per share of 35 cents, surpassing analyst estimates of 28 cents. Revenue came in at $11.28 billion, ahead of the consensus estimate of $11.23 billion.
Nike has exceeded earnings-per-share estimates in each of the past eight consecutive quarters.
NKE Stock Price Activity: Nike shares were down 0.99% at $41.96 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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