Nike Swooshes Higher After Digital Sales Soar

NIKE, Inc. (NKE) shares soared 13% in extended-hours trading Tuesday after the athletic footwear and apparel giant reported a surge in quarterly online sales and remained upbeat about growing demand throughout the upcoming holiday season.

The company posted fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings of 95 cents per share, almost double the Street’s forecast of 48 cents a share. Meanwhile, revenue of $10.59 billion came in comfortably ahead of the $9.15 billion figure analysts had expected. Furthermore, the company also lifted its fiscal full-year outlook. It now expects sales to register in the high single digits to low double digits from the previous year.

Through Tuesday’s close, Nike stock has a $182 billion market cap, yields 0.86%, and trades 16% higher on the year. Over the past three months, the shares sport a 17.69% gain as of Sept. 23, 2020. From a valuation standpoint, the stock looks pricey. It trades at about 47 times projected earnings – 67% above its five-year average multiple of 28.34 times.

Digital Sales Spike

Nike’s Q1 digital sales, which account for roughly 30% of its total quarterly revenue, jumped 82% from a year earlier and 75% from the previous quarter as more shoppers purchased gear online during the pandemic. “We know that digital is the new normal. The consumer today is digitally grounded and simply will not revert back,” CEO John Donahoe told investors during the conference call. In recent years, the company has invested heavily in its website and mobile apps as more consumers move away from department stores and shopping malls.

Wall Street View

Bank of America expects Nike to continue benefiting from consumers’ shift to more solitary leisure activities. “We believe COVID-19 is accelerating the consumer spending shift away from traditional entertainment (e.g. amusement parks, movie theaters, & tourist attractions) and international travel to solitary leisure activities (bicycling, golf, marine, hiking, camping),” the investment bank said in a note cited by Investor’s Business Daily.

Sentiment elsewhere on Wall Street also remains bullish. The stock receives 23 ‘Buy’ ratings, 3 ‘Overweight’ ratings, 4 ‘Hold’ ratings, and 1 ‘Underweight’ rating. Analysts have an average 12-month price target on the stock at $126.07 – nearly 8% above yesterday’s $116.87 close.

Technical Outlook and Trading Tactics

Nike shares have continued trending higher after breaking above multiyear resistance in mid-August. Moreover, aftermarket data indicates the stock will open above $132 Wednesday, taking its price to an all-time high (ATH).

Given the recent runup into the company’s quarterly earnings, don’t be surprised to see profit-taking over the mid- to short-term as traders take some money off the table. Instead of chasing the price, look for a retracement entry back to $105, where previous resistance now acts as support.