Latest news with #NikeAirMaxPhenomena
Miami Herald
44 minutes ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Analysts reboot Nike stock price targets ahead of earnings
If the shoe fits, Nike (NKE) wants you to wear it. The world's biggest shoe company is reportedly releasing a sneaker-loafer called the Nike Air Max Phenomena, which is brought to you by the company's in-house Serena Williams Design Crew. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Sneaker-loafers, or snoafers, are gaining popularity in response to a rising demand for versatile footwear that bridges the gap between casual and formal wear. Hoka, Mizuno and Converse are among the companies that have created their own version of the snoafer. "The loafer trend should continue as long as brands can stay creative with model and material variations," Tarek Hassan, founder and chief executive of Concepts, told WWD in March. "I think we are approaching its peak in trend and growth but will continue to live on as a unique offering for consumers." Sneaker-loafers apparently come under the "love-it-or-hate-it" umbrella, with some consumers viewing them unconventional or even ugly. Bloomberg/Getty Images The Nike Air Max Phenomena does not have an official release date, but you can bet the Beaverton, Ore., company is looking for a whole lotta love for its new snoafer. Nike has been working on a turnaround dubbed "Win Now," CEO Elliott Hill's plan to revitalize the company's culture, brand and product portfolio. In March, the company beat Wall Street's fiscal-third-quarter earnings forecasts, but revenue was down 9%. More Retail Stocks: Halloween retailer sounds warning consumers need to hearTarget expands same-day delivery to 100s of retailersWalmart makes surprise cuts as it looks at tariff price hikes "The team is moving aggressively to reignite brand momentum through sport and stabilize our business," Matthew Friend, executive vice president and chief financial officer, told analysts, adding that the results reflected headwinds from the "Win Now" strategy. "We are also navigating through several external factors that create uncertainty in the current operating environment, including geopolitical dynamics, new tariffs, volatile foreign exchange rates, and tax regulations, as well as the impact of this uncertainty and other macro factors on consumer confidence," he said. Friend added that Nike expected fiscal-fourth-quarter revenue "to be down in the mid-teens [percent] range, albeit at the low end." Consultants McKinsey said last month that most consumers the firm surveyed had either already changed their spending habits or expected to change them soon in response to the Trump administration's tariff announcements. That holds even if the tariffs' effects have yet to hit store shelves, the firm said. Markets have been on a wild ride since President Donald Trump's April 2 reveal of reciprocal tariffs. "We are focused on what we can control," Friend said. "And for Nike at this moment, serving athletes with new-product innovation and reigniting brand momentum is what matters most." "Our collective experience as well as the early signals we are seeing with consumers gives us confidence in the path ahead," he added. The company's shares are down 17.3% in 2025 and are off 36% from a year ago. Nike is scheduled to report for its Q4 on June 26 and some investment firms have issued research reports ahead of the results. Related: Nike's house is not in order, and customers may pay the price Morgan Stanley lowered its price target on Nike to $61 from $70 and affirmed an equal-weight rating on the shares, according to The Fly. The investment firm sees room for upside in Q4 earnings but cautions that Wall Street's fiscal 2026 earnings consensus for Nike is "too high." Those too-high estimates plus a lack of positive demand and innovation feedback from channel checks leaves Morgan Stanley "slightly more negative on our equal-weight rating," though "seemingly bearish sentiment may mean any bright spots are rewarded." Citi analyst Paul Lejuez reiterated a neutral rating and $57 price target on Nike, Street Insider reported. The analyst said he expected the company to beat earnings-per-share estimates for the fiscal Q4, driven by slightly stronger sales and lower selling, general and administrative expense. Given macroeconomic uncertainty and Nike's complex global brand turnaround, Lejuez said he did not anticipate management to issue guidance for fiscal 2026. For the fiscal 2026 first quarter the analyst expects the company to estimate sales down by high-single or low-double-digit percent and earnings of around 10 cents a share, compared with the consensus estimate of 39 cents. The results, he said, would be driven by weaker gross margin and higher SG&A vs the consensus. The analyst expects management to point to the fiscal 2026 second half for when it expects headwinds from the classic franchise to abate, with a target of clearing inventory across the global marketplace. But the timing of Nike achieving enough innovation at scale across performance and lifestyle to drive sustainable revenue growth is still uncertain and will be a focus of the call, Lejuez said. Any sign that Nike can return to revenue growth late in fiscal 2026 would be a positive for the shares given the current negative sentiment, said Lejuez, who sees a balanced risk-reward opportunity into the fiscal-Q4 report. Related: Fund-management veteran skips emotion in investment strategy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Hypebeast
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Nike *Finally* Gets in on the Sneaker-Loafer Boom
Name:Nike Air Max PhenomenaColorway:Black/Metallic SilverSKU:HJ4400-002Retail Price:TBDRelease Date:2025Where to Buy:Nike On Monday morning, Atmos creative lead Hirofumi Kojima surfaced photos of the Nike Air Max Phenomena, showing an elegant hybrid with an Air Max Sunder sole as the foundation for textured black leather uppers. Amidst continued discourse surrounding 'innovation' atNike, the activewear titan has produced a new fusion model, echoing the sneaker-loafer styles released by brands likeNew Balance,HOKA, andPUMA. The athletic outsoles, boasting Nike Air's signature cushions, stand out as the most sneaker-geared design detail, followed by an extended mud guard that undulates in curves around the lateral panel. The remainder of the body is dedicated to the more formal sensibilities, focusing on the textured black leather loafer upper and a small metal Swoosh logo attached to the tongue. For added functionality, Nike incorporates an extended leather pull tab that protrudes from the back for a tactical look. The Nike Air Max Phenomena, led by Nike'sSerena Williams Design Crew, follows the recent unveiling of loafer styles at Nike's other it off, presenting theAll-Star Coupe GB Loaferin early March and subsequently unveiling theAll-Star Coin Loaferjust last week. Elsewhere,Jordanturned heads in early June with the reveal of the women'sAir Jordan Mule Loafer, a platform slide with a loafer toebox. With both the Jordan and the new Nike Air Max Phenomena model designed for the women's lines, Nike has yet to introduce a strong sneaker-loafer contender to its recent men's lines outside of Converse. Will a Nike men's sneaker-loafer look different? Perhaps, leaning more technical? Or will the brand continue with the pared-back lifestyle-geared look of its current sneaker-loafers? New Balance's 1906L, one of the earlier contributions to the sneaker-loafer boom, somehow remains among the most resonant models released in the last few seasons. Instead of going for the Nike Air Phenomena's archetypal loafer look, the New Balance model merely takes the shape of a low-profile loafer and instead reimagines the whole body with the athletic brand's technical mesh and various overlays. Halfway through 2025, it seems that Nike is only now ramping up its sneaker-loafer releases — a relatively late move from the brand compared to its competitors, who got strong responses (good and bad) for their sneaker-loafer interpretations in 2024 and early 2025. The argument that the brand had been slow in its innovative stride was strengthened by the recentreplacementof Nike's Chief Innovation Officer, John Hoke, who was at the company for more than three decades. In his place, Tony Bignell, who led the Footwear Innovation team for nine years, has taken the helm — just one of the many recent creative strategy changes bringing increased optimism at Nike. As of the time of writing, an official release date and MSRP for the Nike Air Max Phenomena have not been revealed. Stay tuned to Hypebeast for updates.
