Nike (NKE) stock is one of the best-performing Dow Jones stocks Thursday thanks to news Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management took a new stake in the footwear and apparel retailer.
According to a 13F regulatory filing released Wednesday, Pershing Square bought more than 3 million shares of Nike stock in the second quarter. This works out to a roughly 0.2% ownership stake of the retailer and makes NKE the ninth largest position in the Pershing Square portfolio.
Per Whale Wisdom, Ackman's hedge fund is estimated to have paid an average of $75.37 per share for its Nike stake, which was worth roughly $230 billion at the end of Q2.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The addition of Nike to the Pershing Square equity portfolio increases its exposure to consumer discretionary stocks. Indeed, the fund's top three positions – Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT), Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) and Restaurant Brands International (QSR) – fall under this umbrella.
The new Nike stake also marks a return to the stock for Pershing Square Capital Management. In late 2017, the firm invested in Nike and made an estimated $100 million profit, according to Reuters.
Why would Ackman invest in Nike?
"Nike has been lacking any real innovation that reaches consumers," says Brian Mulberry, client portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management. He adds that even the Jordan brand has struggled recently, while Lululemon Athletica (LULU) and Fabletics have taken the lead in the apparels market.
"Nike is also missing key brand ambassadors that were so critical to growth," he adds. "Tiger Woods, Lebron James, etc. are all aging athletes and have either left or are likely not to renew the large deals from the past. But that leaves them with no real superstar from any sport to help engage with younger consumers in particular."
However, this is likely why Ackman took a stake in Nike, Mulberry says. Not only did he scoop up NKE at an attractive valuation, but it gives him "a chance to make a positive impression on the future direction of the company, which he was able to do successfully seven years ago."
As such, the portfolio manager believes the board of directors and the executive team will "be happy to engage with Ackman rather than having him become a hostile activist."
Is Nike stock a buy, sell or hold?
Ackman scooped up Nike at a discount, considering it has been one of the worst Dow stocks of the year – with only Intel (INTC) and Boeing (BA) suffering bigger losses.
Still, Wall Street remains bullish on the blue chip stock. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the average analyst target price for NKE stock is $91.27, representing implied upside of about 12% to current levels. Additionally, the consensus recommendation is Buy.
Speaking for the bulls is Wedbush analyst Tom Nikic, who has an Outperform (the equivalent of Buy) rating and $97 price target on Nike.
Nikic admits that Nike is facing several challenges, as evidenced by the disappointing fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report its released in late June. The company also lowered its full-year sales forecast amid muted wholesale orders and a softer outlook in China.
However, the analyst is hopeful "that with management seemingly more clear-headed about the mistakes they've made, they can lean on NKE's vast resources (bigger budgets than any competitor in terms of research and development, marketing, etc.) to begin the road to recovery in 2025."
Related Content
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Rally Despite Rising Geopolitical TensionThe main indexes were mixed on Tuesday but closed well off their lows after an early flight to safety.
-
What's at Stake for Alphabet as DOJ Eyes Google's ChromeAlphabet is higher Tuesday even as antitrust officials at the DOJ support forcing Google to sell its popular web browser. Here's what you need to know.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Rally Despite Rising Geopolitical Tension
The main indexes were mixed on Tuesday but closed well off their lows after an early flight to safety.
-
What's at Stake for Alphabet as DOJ Eyes Google's Chrome
Alphabet is higher Tuesday even as antitrust officials at the DOJ support forcing Google to sell its popular web browser. Here's what you need to know.
-
Lowe's Stock Is Falling After Earnings. Here's WhyLowe's stock is lower Tuesday as Wall Street weighs a beat-and-raise quarter against declining revenue. This is what you need to know.
-
Why Walmart Stock's a Buy After Its Beat-And-Raise QuarterWalmart is the best Dow Jones stock Tuesday after the retail giant's solid earnings report and outlook and Wall Street thinks it's just getting started. Here's what they're saying.
-
Winners and Losers of Fed Rate CutsNavigating interest-rate changes can seem daunting, but these areas of the fixed-income market could perform better (or worse) than others.
-
Six Ways to Optimize Your Charitable Giving Before Year-EndAs 2024 winds down, right now is the time to look at how you plan to handle your charitable giving. The sooner you start, the more tax-efficient you can be.
-
How Preferred Stocks Can Boost Your Retirement PortfolioHigher yields, priority on dividend payments and the potential for capital appreciation are just three reasons to consider investing in preferred stocks.
-
Structured Settlement Annuity vs Lump-Sum Payout: Which Is Better?As the use of structured settlement annuities grows, it can be tough to decide whether to take the lump sum to invest or opt instead for guaranteed payments.
