The Price of Nike (NKE) Shares Surged by More Than 6%

Investors in Nike (NKE) can hardly call 2024 a successful year:
→ while the S&P 500 index (US SPX 500 mini on FXOpen) has risen by over 20% since the beginning of the year and is hovering near historic highs,
→ the price of NKE shares has dropped by about 20% in 2024 and is now more than twice as low as its all-time high reached in 2021.

Nike’s shares have been in a downward trend for several months, driven by increasing competition, as confirmed by the latest quarterly report, which showed that sales remained flat, and the company forecasts a potential 10% decline in quarterly sales.

As CNN reports, many investors had been calling for changes at Nike. Thus, they welcomed the news of a leadership change – it was announced last week that the current CEO, John Donahoe, will retire next month and will be replaced by former Nike executive Elliott Hill – which led to a rise in the company’s shares by over 6% in a single day.

Technical analysis of Nike (NKE) shares today suggests that the bullish momentum may fade due to a cluster of potential resistance lines, including:
→ the psychological level of $90, which previously acted as support (as indicated by the arrows);
→ the median line of the red channel, constructed using the linear regression method;
→ the upper boundary of the bearish gap formed on 28 June.

On the other hand, the bulls have their argument: the $77.00 level provided support during the test on 11 September. The significance of this level lies in the fact that it originates from the 28 June candlestick, when, according to NASDAQ data, an abnormally high volume of 130 million shares was traded. It’s possible that professional traders were the buyers, believing the share price of the well-known brand had become attractive.

According to TipRanks, Wall Street analysts believe Nike will “Just Do it” and put an end to the months-long bearish trend. Of the 33 analysts surveyed, 15 recommend buying NKE shares, and none advise selling. The average price target for NKE shares is $92 (+7% from the current price) over the next 12 months.