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NIKE, Inc. Reports Fiscal 2025 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results

NIKE, Inc. Reports Fiscal 2025 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results

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BEAVERTON, Ore., June 26, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) today reported financial results for its fiscal 2025 fourth quarter and full year ended May 31, 2025.
Full year revenues were $46.3 billion, down 10 percent on a reported basis compared to the prior year and down 9 percent on a currency-neutral basis*
Fourth quarter revenues were $11.1 billion, down 12 percent on a reported basis and down 11 percent on a currency-neutral basis
NIKE Direct revenues for the fourth quarter were $4.4 billion, down 14 percent on a reported and currency-neutral basis
Wholesale revenues for the fourth quarter were $6.4 billion, down 9 percent on a reported and currency-neutral basis
Gross margin for the fourth quarter decreased 440 basis points to 40.3 percent
Diluted earnings per share was $0.14 for the fourth quarter
"While our financial results are in-line with our expectations, they are not where we want them to be. Moving forward, we expect our business to improve as a result of the progress we're making through our Win Now actions," said Elliott Hill, President & CEO, NIKE, Inc. "As we enter a new fiscal year, we are turning the page and the next step is aligning our teams to lead with sport through what we are calling the sport offense. This will accelerate our Win Now actions to reposition our business for future growth."
The sport offense realignment will focus on driving distinction within key sports, building a complete product portfolio, creating stories to inspire and connect with consumers, and elevating and growing the entire marketplace.
"The fourth quarter reflected the largest financial impact from our Win Now actions, and we expect the headwinds to moderate from here," said Matthew Friend, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, NIKE, Inc. "I am confident in our ability to navigate through this current dynamic and uncertain environment by focusing on what we can control and executing our Win Now actions."
Fourth Quarter Income Statement Review
Revenues for NIKE, Inc. were $11.1 billion, down 12 percent on a reported basis and down 11 percent on a currency-neutral basis.
Revenues for the NIKE Brand were $10.8 billion, down 11 percent on a reported and currency-neutral basis, driven by declines across all geographies.
NIKE Direct revenues were $4.4 billion, down 14 percent on a reported and currency-neutral basis, due to a 26 percent decrease in NIKE Brand Digital, partially offset by a 2 percent increase in NIKE-owned stores.
Wholesale revenues for the fourth quarter were $6.4 billion, down 9 percent on a reported and currency-neutral basis.
Revenues for Converse were $357 million, down 26 percent on a reported and currency-neutral basis, due to declines across all territories.
Gross margin decreased 440 basis points to 40.3 percent, primarily due to higher discounts and changes in channel mix.
Selling and administrative expense increased 1 percent to $4.1 billion.
Demand creation expense was $1.3 billion, up 15 percent, primarily due to higher sports marketing expense and higher brand marketing expense.
Operating overhead expense decreased 3 percent to $2.9 billion, primarily due to restructuring charges in the prior year, lower wage-related expenses and lower other administrative costs.
The effective tax rate was 33.6 percent, compared to 13.1 percent for the same period last year, primarily due to decreased benefits from stock-based compensation and one-time items that have an outsized impact on the tax rate because of lower pre-tax income in the quarter.
Net income was $0.2 billion, down 86 percent, and Diluted earnings per share was $0.14, a decrease of 86 percent.
Fiscal 2025 Income Statement Review
Revenues for NIKE, Inc. were $46.3 billion, down 10 percent on a reported basis and down 9 percent on a currency-neutral basis.
Revenues for the NIKE Brand were $44.7 billion, down 9 percent on a reported and currency-neutral basis, driven by declines across all geographies.
NIKE Direct revenues were $18.8 billion, down 13 percent on a reported basis and down 12 percent on a currency-neutral basis, due to a 20 percent decrease in NIKE Brand Digital, while NIKE-owned stores were flat.
Wholesale revenues were $25.9 billion, down 7 percent on a reported basis and down 6 percent on a currency-neutral basis.
Revenues for Converse were $1.7 billion, down 19 percent on a reported basis and down 18 percent on a currency-neutral basis, due to declines across all territories.
Gross margin decreased 190 basis points to 42.7 percent, primarily due to higher discounts, changes in channel mix and higher inventory obsolescence reserves, partially offset by lower product costs.
Selling and administrative expense decreased 3 percent to $16.1 billion.
Demand creation expense was $4.7 billion, up 9 percent, primarily due to higher brand marketing expense and higher sports marketing expense.
Operating overhead expense decreased 7 percent to $11.4 billion, primarily due to restructuring charges in the prior year, lower wage-related expenses and lower other administrative costs.
The effective tax rate was 17.1 percent, compared to 14.9 percent for the same period last year, primarily due to changes in earnings mix, decreased benefits from stock-based compensation and non-recurring one-time benefits in the prior year, partially offset by a one-time, non-cash deferred tax benefit provided by US tax regulations related to foreign currency gains and losses.
Net income was $3.2 billion, down 44 percent, and Diluted earnings per share was $2.16, a decrease of 42 percent.
May 31, 2025 Balance Sheet Review
Inventories for NIKE, Inc. were $7.5 billion, flat compared to the prior year.
Cash and equivalents and short-term investments were $9.2 billion, down approximately $2.4 billion from last year, as cash generated from operations was more than offset by share repurchases, cash dividends, bond repayment and capital expenditures.
Shareholder Returns
NIKE continues to have a strong track record of consistently increasing returns to shareholders, including 23 consecutive years of increasing dividend payouts.
In the fourth quarter, the Company returned approximately $0.8 billion to shareholders, including:
Dividends of $591 million, up 6 percent from prior year.
Share repurchases of $202 million, reflecting 3.2 million shares retired as part of the four-year, $18 billion program approved by the Board of Directors in June 2022.
In fiscal 2025, the Company returned approximately $5.3 billion to shareholders, including:
Dividends of $2.3 billion, up 6 percent from prior year.
Share repurchases of $3.0 billion, reflecting 37.6 million shares retired as part of the four-year, $18 billion program approved by the Board of Directors in June 2022.
As of May 31, 2025, a total of 122.6 million shares have been repurchased under the current program for a total of approximately $12.0 billion.
Conference Call
NIKE, Inc. management will host a conference call beginning at approximately 2:00 p.m. PT on June 26, 2025, to review fiscal fourth quarter and full year results. The conference call will be broadcast live via the Internet and can be accessed at http://investors.nike.com. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, an archived version will be available at the same location through 9:00 p.m. PT, July 17, 2025.
About NIKE, Inc.
NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Converse, a wholly-owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiary brand, designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, NIKE, Inc.'s earnings releases and other financial information are available on the Internet at http://investors.nike.com. Individuals can also visit http://news.nike.com and follow @NIKE.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding our expectations of our future results and our strategy, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in reports filed by NIKE with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including Forms 8-K, 10-Q and 10-K.
*
Non-GAAP financial measures. See additional information in the accompanying Divisional Revenues, Supplemental NIKE Brand Revenue and Diluted earnings per share tables.
NIKE, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
THREE MONTHS ENDED
%
TWELVE MONTHS ENDED
%
(In millions, except per share data)
5/31/2025
5/31/2024
Change
5/31/2025
5/31/2024
Change
Revenues
$
11,097
$
12,606
-12
%
$
46,309
$
51,362
-10
%
Cost of sales
6,628
6,972
-5
%
26,519
28,475
-7
%
Gross profit
4,469
5,634
-21
%
19,790
22,887
-14
%
Gross margin
40.3
%
44.7
%
42.7
%
44.6
%
Demand creation expense
1,253
1,091
15
%
4,689
4,285
9
%
Operating overhead expense
2,895
2,997
-3
%
11,399
12,291
-7
%
Total selling and administrative expense
4,148
4,088
1
%
16,088
16,576
-3
%
% of revenues
37.4
%
32.4
%
34.7
%
32.3
%
Interest expense (income), net
(22
)
(53
)

(107
)
(161
)

Other (income) expense, net
25
(127
)

(76
)
(228
)

Income before income taxes
318
1,726
-82
%
3,885
6,700
-42
%
Income tax expense
107
226
-53
%
666
1,000
-33
%
Effective tax rate
33.6
%
13.1
%
17.1
%
14.9
%
NET INCOME
$
211
$
1,500
-86
%
$
3,219
$
5,700
-44
%
Earnings per common share:
Basic
$
0.14
$
0.99
-86
%
$
2.17
$
3.76
-42
%
Diluted
$
0.14
$
0.99
-86
%
$
2.16
$
3.73
-42
%
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic
1,476.7
1,508.0
1,484.9
1,517.6
Diluted
1,477.7
1,516.7
1,487.6
1,529.7
Dividends declared per common share
$
0.400
$
0.370
$
1.570
$
1.450
NIKE, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
May 31,
May 31,
% Change
(Dollars in millions)
2025
2024
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and equivalents
$
7,464
$
9,860
-24
%
Short-term investments
1,687
1,722
-2
%
Accounts receivable, net
4,717
4,427
7
%
Inventories
7,489
7,519
0
%
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
2,005
1,854
8
%
Total current assets
23,362
25,382
-8
%
Property, plant and equipment, net
4,828
5,000
-3
%
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net
2,712
2,718
0
%
Identifiable intangible assets, net
259
259
0
%
Goodwill
240
240
0
%
Deferred income taxes and other assets
5,178
4,511
15
%
TOTAL ASSETS
$
36,579
$
38,110
-4
%
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt
$

$
1,000
-100
%
Notes payable
5
6
-17
%
Accounts payable
3,479
2,851
22
%
Current portion of operating lease liabilities
502
477
5
%
Accrued liabilities
5,911
5,725
3
%
Income taxes payable
669
534
25
%
Total current liabilities
10,566
10,593
0
%
Long-term debt
7,961
7,903
1
%
Operating lease liabilities
2,550
2,566
-1
%
Deferred income taxes and other liabilities
2,289
2,618
-13
%
Redeemable preferred stock



Shareholders' equity
13,213
14,430
-8
%
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
$
36,579
$
38,110
-4
%
NIKE, Inc.
DIVISIONAL REVENUES
(Unaudited)
% Change Excluding Currency Changes1
% Change Excluding Currency Changes1
THREE MONTHS ENDED
%
TWELVE MONTHS ENDED
%
(Dollars in millions)
5/31/2025
5/31/2024
Change
5/31/2025
5/31/2024
Change
North America
Footwear
$
3,104
$
3,587
-13
%
-13
%
$
12,684
$
14,537
-13
%
-13
%
Apparel
1,303
1,398
-7
%
-7
%
5,837
5,953
-2
%
-2
%
Equipment
296
293
1
%
2
%
1,051
906
16
%
16
%
Total
4,703
5,278
-11
%
-11
%
19,572
21,396
-9
%
-8
%
Europe, Middle East & Africa
Footwear
1,893
2,067
-8
%
-9
%
7,569
8,473
-11
%
-10
%
Apparel
929
1,049
-11
%
-12
%
3,971
4,380
-9
%
-9
%
Equipment
178
176
1
%
0
%
717
754
-5
%
-5
%
Total
3,000
3,292
-9
%
-10
%
12,257
13,607
-10
%
-10
%
Greater China
Footwear
1,074
1,357
-21
%
-20
%
4,805
5,552
-13
%
-13
%
Apparel
372
460
-19
%
-19
%
1,616
1,828
-12
%
-12
%
Equipment
30
46
-35
%
-33
%
165
165
0
%
1
%
Total
1,476
1,863
-21
%
-20
%
6,586
7,545
-13
%
-12
%
Asia Pacific & Latin America
Footwear
1,114
1,226
-9
%
-5
%
4,452
4,865
-8
%
-4
%
Apparel
398
416
-4
%
-1
%
1,541
1,614
-5
%
-1
%
Equipment
63
63
0
%
3
%
258
250
3
%
7
%
Total
1,575
1,705
-8
%
-3
%
6,251
6,729
-7
%
-3
%
Global Brand Divisions2
9
11
-18
%
0
%
48
45
7
%
10
%
TOTAL NIKE BRAND
10,763
12,149
-11
%
-11
%
44,714
49,322
-9
%
-9
%
Converse
357
480
-26
%
-26
%
1,692
2,082
-19
%
-18
%
Corporate3
(23
)
(23
)


(97
)
(42
)


TOTAL NIKE, INC. REVENUES
$
11,097
$
12,606
-12
%
-11
%
$
46,309
$
51,362
-10
%
-9
%
TOTAL NIKE BRAND
Footwear
$
7,185
$
8,237
-13
%
-12
%
$
29,510
$
33,427
-12
%
-11
%
Apparel
3,002
3,323
-10
%
-9
%
12,965
13,775
-6
%
-5
%
Equipment
567
578
-2
%
-1
%
2,191
2,075
6
%
6
%
Global Brand Divisions2
9
11
-18
%
0
%
48
45
7
%
10
%
TOTAL NIKE BRAND REVENUES
$
10,763
$
12,149
-11
%
-11
%
$
44,714
$
49,322
-9
%
-9
%
1 The percent change has been calculated using actual exchange rates in use during the comparative prior year period and is provided to enhance the visibility of the underlying business trends by excluding the impact of translation arising from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, which is considered a non-GAAP financial measure. Management uses this non-GAAP financial measure when evaluating the Company's performance, including when making financial and operating decisions. Additionally, management believes this non-GAAP financial measure provides investors with additional financial information that should be considered when assessing the Company's underlying business performance and trends. References to this measure should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for other financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled non-GAAP measures used by other companies.
2 Global Brand Divisions revenues include NIKE Brand licensing and other miscellaneous revenues that are not part of a geographic operating segment.
3 Corporate revenues primarily consist of foreign currency hedge gains and losses related to revenues generated by entities within the NIKE Brand geographic operating segments and Converse, but managed through the Company's central foreign exchange risk management program.
NIKE, Inc.
SUPPLEMENTAL NIKE BRAND REVENUE DETAILS
(Unaudited)
% Change Excluding Currency Changes1
TWELVE MONTHS ENDED
%
(Dollars in millions)
5/31/2025
5/31/2024
Change
NIKE Brand Revenues by:
Sales to Wholesale Customers
$
25,883
$
27,758
-7
%
-6
%
Sales through NIKE Direct
18,783
21,519
-13
%
-12
%
Global Brand Divisions2
48
45
7
%
10
%
TOTAL NIKE BRAND REVENUES
$
44,714
$
49,322
-9
%
-9
%
NIKE Brand Revenues by:3
Men's
$
23,216
$
24,785
-6
%
-6
%
Women's
9,719
10,366
-6
%
-5
%
Kids'
5,695
6,019
-5
%
-5
%
Jordan Brand
7,270
8,701
-16
%
-16
%
Others4
(1,234
)
(594
)
-108
%
-106
%
Global Brand Divisions2
48
45
7
%
10
%
TOTAL NIKE BRAND REVENUES
$
44,714
$
49,322
-9
%
-9
%
1 The percent change has been calculated using actual exchange rates in use during the comparative prior year period and is provided to enhance the visibility of the underlying business trends by excluding the impact of translation arising from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, which is considered a non-GAAP financial measure. Management uses this non-GAAP financial measure when evaluating the Company's performance, including when making financial and operating decisions. Additionally, management believes this non-GAAP financial measure provides investors with additional financial information that should be considered when assessing the Company's underlying business performance and trends. References to this measure should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for other financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled non-GAAP measures used by other companies.
2 Global Brand Divisions revenues include NIKE Brand licensing and other miscellaneous revenues that are not part of a geographic operating segment.
3 Beginning in fiscal 2025, with the continued rollout of a new Enterprise Resource Planning Platform, we have removed the non-GAAP financial measure of wholesale equivalent revenues. There is no change to our reported revenues or gross margin. Prior year amounts have been recast to conform to fiscal 2025 presentation.
4 Others include products not allocated to Men's, Women's, Kids' and Jordan Brand, as well as certain adjustments that are not allocated to products designated by consumer.
NIKE, Inc.
EARNINGS BEFORE INTEREST AND TAXES1
(Unaudited)
THREE MONTHS ENDED
%
TWELVE MONTHS ENDED
%
(Dollars in millions)
5/31/2025
5/31/2024
Change
5/31/2025
5/31/2024
Change
North America
$
1,045
$
1,462
-29
%
$
4,735
$
5,822
-19
%
Europe, Middle East & Africa
472
797
-41
%
2,575
3,388
-24
%
Greater China
304
548
-45
%
1,602
2,309
-31
%
Asia Pacific & Latin America
319
479
-33
%
1,527
1,885
-19
%
Global Brand Divisions2
(1,246
)
(1,148
)
-9
%
(4,699
)
(4,720
)
0
%
TOTAL NIKE BRAND1
894
2,138
-58
%
5,740
8,684
-34
%
Converse
27
94
-71
%
240
474
-49
%
Corporate3
(625
)
(559
)
-12
%
(2,202
)
(2,619
)
16
%
TOTAL NIKE, INC. EARNINGS BEFORE INTEREST AND TAXES1
296
1,673
-82
%
3,778
6,539
-42
%
EBIT margin1
2.7
%
13.3
%
8.2
%
12.7
%
Interest expense (income), net
(22
)
(53
)

(107
)
(161
)

TOTAL NIKE, INC. INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES
$
318
$
1,726
-82
%
$
3,885
$
6,700
-42
%
1 Management evaluates the performance of the Company's segments and allocates resources based on earnings before interest and taxes (commonly referred to as "EBIT"), which represents Net income before Interest expense (income), net and Income tax expense. Total NIKE Brand EBIT, Total NIKE, Inc. EBIT and EBIT margin are considered non-GAAP financial measures. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures when evaluating the Company's performance, including when making financial and operating decisions. Additionally, management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with additional financial information that should be considered when assessing the Company's underlying business performance and trends. EBIT margin is calculated as total NIKE, Inc. EBIT divided by total NIKE, Inc. Revenues. References to EBIT and EBIT margin should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for other financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled non-GAAP measures used by other companies.
2 Global Brand Divisions primarily represents costs, including product creation and design expenses, that are centrally managed for the NIKE Brand, as well as costs associated with NIKE Direct global digital operations and enterprise technology. Global Brand Divisions revenues include NIKE Brand licensing and other miscellaneous revenues that are not part of a geographic operating segment.
3 Corporate consists primarily of unallocated general and administrative expenses, including expenses associated with centrally managed departments; depreciation and amortization related to the Company's corporate headquarters; unallocated insurance, benefit and compensation programs, including stock-based compensation; and certain foreign currency gains and losses, including certain hedge gains and losses. For the twelve months ended May 31, 2024, Corporate includes the restructuring charges, recognized as a result of the Company taking steps to streamline the organization. These charges primarily reflect employee severance costs. An immaterial amount of restructuring charges was recognized for the three months ended May 31, 2024.
NIKE, Inc.
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE
(Unaudited)
THREE MONTHS ENDED
TWELVE MONTHS ENDED
5/31/2024
5/31/2024
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE (GAAP):
$
0.99
$
3.73
Add: Restructuring charges
0.03
0.29
Tax effect of the restructuring charges1
(0.01
)
(0.07
)
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE EXCLUDING RESTRUCTURING CHARGES (NON-GAAP):2
$
1.01
$
3.95
1 Tax effect was determined by applying the tax rate applicable to the specific item.
2 Diluted earnings per share excluding the restructuring charges is a non-GAAP financial measure. The most comparable GAAP measure is Diluted earnings per share. The Company uses Diluted earnings per share excluding the restructuring charges to facilitate the evaluation of the Company's performance. The Company believes that providing Diluted earnings per share excluding the impacts of the restructuring charges is useful to investors for comparability between periods and allows investors to evaluate the impacts of the restructuring charges separately. For the three and twelve months ended May 31, 2025, there were no material restructuring charges impacting comparability.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250626256960/en/
Contacts
Investor Contact:Paul Trussellinvestor.relations@nike.com
Media Contact:Virginia Rustique-Pettenimedia.relations@nike.com

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Among the longtime McDonald's franchise employees profiled below, a common word used to explain their passion and loyalty to their local franchisee is 'family.' In the case of Scarlett Morris, all four of her family members work for McDonald's restaurants. For Michael Shackleford, McDonald's restaurants were a port in the storm during some of his darkest days. And for Jennifer Carter — who grew up in foster care — her McDonald's coworkers became her surrogate family. In the second installment of a three-part series, here are the stories of how Archways to Opportunity helped these individuals unleash their full potential and inspired them to encourage their McDonald's teammates to do the same. Turning Golden Arches into golden opportunities For Scarlett Morris and her family, earning and learning with McDonald's has become a way of life. Scarlett hopes she and her husband Chris, shown here with their Colorado Technical University diplomas, will be role models for their kids. Living on her own since 17, Scarlett Morris started with her local McDonald's in 2003 as a crew member to support herself and her daughter, Emma. 'McDonald's is a good first job, because we tune into your strengths,' Scarlett said. In her case, those include strong people skills and an interest in empowering her fellow employees. She rapidly progressed into management roles, eventually becoming the people and development lead for 10 restaurants. Along the way, Scarlett met an ambitious coworker, Chris, and they've now been married for over 20 years. Together, they had busy full-time jobs — Chris is director of operations for 10 franchises — while raising Emma, now 20, and their son, Jackson, 15, in College Station, Texas. Their goal is to own their own McDonald's franchise one day. But because of their work and family demands, they had neither the time nor money to return to school and pursue their passions. For Scarlett, that was human resources. For Chris, it was technology. When Emma was a high school junior in 2022, Scarlett decided to take advantage of McDonald's Archways to Opportunity program and pursue a bachelor's degree in business administration, with a focus in HR management — her courses were online and fully paid for by Archways — from Colorado Technical University. For the Morris family (from left: Emma, Scarlett, Chris, and Jackson), working at their local McDonald's is more than just a job; it has become a way of life. Two years later, her dream became a reality — times three. In a trio of Archways-inspired milestones, Scarlett and Chris both graduated from CTU in May 2024 (Chris also got a bachelor's in business administration, with a focus on information technology), just as Emma was completing her freshman year at nearby Texas A&M University. Thanks to tuition assistance, Emma — who is now the restaurant people department leader at her local McDonald's — can afford to work 30 hours a week instead of 40, so her grades don't suffer. 'Her work experience, paired with that degree — she's going to be leaps and bounds ahead of many of her classmates,' Scarlett said. Scarlett immediately put the knowledge and skills developed while pursuing her degree to use. 'I was able to take what they were teaching me and turn it into a real-life scenario at work,' Scarlett said. 'We want to make this franchise the best it can be for as long as possible.' Looking to the future, Scarlett and Chris dream of having their own franchise, or 'our own little 'McFamily,'' as they call it. 'We want to use Archways to help our people, encourage them, and propel them on their journey,' Scarlett said. 'The Archways program is a blessing, and I'm grateful for it.' Finding hope at the end of the road 'Archways to Opportunity brought out the good in me I couldn't find for myself,' Michael Shackleford said. Michael Shackleford (pictured with his wife Nicole) receiving his associate degree in Colorado. 'I was able to walk the stage for the first time in my life.' At Michael Shackleford's lowest point in life, he was homeless, foraging through trash cans for food, and eating snow. 'I was at a bus stop and noticed the clean snow beneath dirty footprints,' said Shackleford, who was expelled from school in seventh grade and later struggled with addiction. 'It hit me at a moment in my dirty life that below the muck I will find a clean slate.' Today, Shackleford is the safety and security manager in charge of loss prevention and risk management for the 22 McDonald's locations in South Carolina and Georgia that are owned and operated by his boss, John Ritchey Jr. What led to such a remarkable transformation? McDonald's. It's been an incredible journey, starting with Shackleford's first job sweeping bathrooms and taking out trash 33 years ago. (His older brother Robert was the general manager of a local McDonald's franchise who hired him to keep him out of trouble.) Fast-forward to July 2024, when — with financial and emotional support from McDonald's and its franchisees' Archways to Opportunity program and the skills he honed as a McDonald's employee — Shackleford, then 47, received an associate degree in business administration, with highest honors, from Colorado Technical University. 'I would tell my younger self, 'Thank you for not dying and for not giving up.'' He came close to doing both. In a quest to figure out where he belonged, Shackleford spent most of the 1990s traveling from state to state on a Greyhound bus. At each stop — Delaware, Virginia, New York — he'd get a job at a McDonald's restaurant, just to be able to eat. He hit bottom in March 1999, after eight months of sleeping in a church every night. On April 1, the date he'll always remember as his turning point, he decided it was time to go home. What happened after is the stuff of made-for-TV movies. At a family gathering the week after his return to Andrews, South Carolina, Shackleford met and fell for a woman named Nicole, who was visiting from Delaware. It turned out she lived in one of the towns he'd stopped at during his Greyhound days. A three-day trip to Delaware in June sealed the deal. 'I remember sitting on the bus crying all the way back home,' Shackleford said. 'In that moment, it felt like a new beginning.' By August, he had moved to Delaware, and by November, he and Nicole were married. (They celebrated 25 years of marriage last year.) Because of his prior experience, Shackleford was hired as a swing manager at a local McDonald's franchise and has been working his way through the ranks ever since. After graduating at the top of his class from Hamburger University — McDonald's' training program for high-potential managers and owner-operators — Shackleford contemplated going to college. He did so in 2021 after learning about Archways to Opportunity, which allowed him to attend CTU online, while still working, and earn his degree — for free. According to Ritchey, his organization's investment in Shackleford has paid off many times. 'His confidence went up tenfold, and his determination towards a result has also increased,' Ritchey said. 'He's a man on a mission now, and it shows in his results. He is having a great time positively impacting our whole company.' Shackleford doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. He's now just 40 credits shy of earning a bachelor's degree in business administration from CTU, with a current GPA of 3.71. He devotes equal energy to inspiring his coworkers to fully develop their potential. That mindset benefits everybody. 'Not only does he lead by example,' Ritchey said, 'he is the most fantastic cheerleader we have for everyone who wants to achieve anything in the organization.' 'It's hard to beat someone who won't give up.' The odds of success are stacked against former foster youth like Jennifer Carter. But she found the secret to beating the odds. Jennifer Carter uses her master's degree training in social work to help her colleagues thrive. At just 19 years old, Jennifer Carter aged out of the foster care system she'd grown up in since age 3 and was awarded temporary custody of her two younger siblings. In her words, Carter described that transition to adulthood as 'challenging.' She didn't have the support or guidance she needed to accomplish basic tasks like filling out her taxes or paying the bills, much less continuing her education. So, after a semester of community college, Carter took a break to focus on work — she'd been a crew member at a local McDonald's restaurant since she was 16 — and complete the steps necessary to care for her brother and sister. 'I had to move and buy all kinds of furniture to show they had a place to stay,' Carter said. 'And since it was a boy and a girl, they had to have separate rooms.' The silver lining through all the rough times? Her innate tenacity — and her work family at her local McDonald's. 'They helped me when I was struggling,' Carter said. 'Even if my problem wasn't work related, they'd say, 'This is what you need to do.'' That came in handy when Carter — who'd become a restaurant manager before she turned 20 — decided to continue her lifelong learning journey after finding out about Archways to Opportunity. Hopeful that the skills she'd learned at work would equip her to do better at college the second time around, Carter started by taking a couple classes to get her feet wet. As it turned out, Carter said, 'All the things I learned at McDonald's — how to be organized, how to take great notes, how to deal with people — had prepared me better than all the high school I'd attended and workshops I'd had in foster care.' Archways to Opportunity enabled Carter to complete college with associate and bachelor's degrees in sociology at Cal State Fullerton and a master's degree in social work, with a focus on social change and innovation, at the University of Southern California. She achieved this, with honors, while juggling her job and taking care of her growing family: In 2023, she got married (her husband, Nathan, is an independent McDonald's franchisee with seven restaurants) and the couple now has three young children: Jayden, Jaxtyn, and Juliana. Nathan and Jennifer Carter brought sons Jayden (left) and Jaxtyn to a work event in Spain, before daughter Juliana was born. Now, she wants to put all that learning back into the Southern California community where she lives and works. For instance, she's trying to develop a program that helps connect foster care youth with job opportunities at her restaurants. 'The thing I love about McDonald's versus social work is that I can walk in a community and offer people a job,' Carter explained. 'A lot of people come in with challenges I had when I was younger. And I get to say, 'Hey, it's OK to get help. Here are some places you can go that have programs.' I assist firsthand with those resources.' This is why, after all her education, Carter — who is now an operations supervisor — has chosen to stay at her local McDonald's, rather than become a social worker. 'I don't hand off cases to different people and move on,' she said. 'I try to reflect on the challenges I had when I first started, and what kind of support I can provide. I love that I can be part of somebody's story and make a difference.' McDonald's and Stand Together are working to advance principles that help people unlock their potential in the workplace. Learn more about Stand Together's efforts to transform the future of work and explore ways you can partner with us.

The President's Defense Budget Misses the Mark
The President's Defense Budget Misses the Mark

Wall Street Journal

time13 minutes ago

  • Wall Street Journal

The President's Defense Budget Misses the Mark

The U.S. may have averted war in the Middle East for now, but the international environment is growing more dangerous. In just over a week, Iran and Israel traded missile and drone strikes, U.S. B-2 Spirit bombers struck Iranian nuclear facilities, and Iran fired missiles at the American base in Qatar. Meanwhile, China is amassing significant military power, Russia continues to wage a brutal war in Ukraine, and Kim Jong Un has threatened to obliterate South Korea if provoked. The Trump administration's defense budget is strikingly inadequate to meet the moment. The White House proposed a defense budget of $892.6 billion for fiscal 2026, which is a cut in real terms from the previous year. It highlighted the request as the first trillion-dollar defense budget, but that includes an additional $119.3 billion from the $150 billion one-time increase from Congress' reconciliation bill now under consideration. According to Sen. Roger Wicker (R., Miss.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, even with the bonus, the administration's proposal would leave the U.S. with a defense budget of only 2.65% of gross domestic product by 2029.

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