Tim Cook Buys 50,000 Shares of Nike for Nearly $3 Million

Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst

AAPL-1.83%

NKE+1.27%

LULU+1.64%

Source: Fool

Updated: 3d ago

0mins

Source: Fool

Cook's Purchase: Apple CEO Tim Cook bought 50,000 shares of Nike for nearly $3 million in late December, nearly doubling his stake, which the market interpreted as a vote of confidence in Nike.
Market Reaction: Cook's purchase was an open market transaction, indicating he paid full price, reflecting his belief in Nike's current valuation, although his role as a director may imply other motivations.
Nike's Financial Challenges: In Q2 of fiscal 2026, Nike's revenue grew only 1% year-over-year, with a concerning 8% drop in its direct-to-consumer sales, indicating pressure on brand strength among consumers.
Intense Competitive Environment: Despite Nike's strong global brand equity, it faces fierce competition from brands like Lululemon and Adidas in the athleisure market, creating uncertainty for future growth prospects.

AAPL

$262.36+Infinity%1D

Analyst Views on AAPL

Wall Street analysts forecast AAPL stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for AAPL is 289.17 USD with a low forecast of 225.00 USD and a high forecast of 345.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.

35 Analyst Rating

21 Buy

12 Hold

2 Sell

Moderate Buy

Current: 267.260

Low

225.00

Averages

289.17

High

345.00

Current: 267.260

Low

225.00

Averages

289.17

High

345.00

Goldman Sachs

Buy

maintain

$320

2026-01-06

New

Reason

Goldman Sachs

Price Target

$320

2026-01-06

New

maintain

Buy

Reason

Apple App Store spending grew roughly 6% year over year in December 2025, decelerating from November as weakness in Games and Entertainment and softer trends in China and Japan offset stable U.S. growth, Goldman Sachs tells investors in a research note. While App Store growth has slowed and trails Apple's broader Services outlook, faster growth in other Services categories should support overall Services revenue, with the App Store remaining a key long-term contributor despite near-term risks, the firm adds. Goldman Sachs has a Buy rating and $320 price target on the shares.

Melius Research

analyst

Hold

Buy

upgrade

$50

2026-01-05

New

Reason

Melius Research

analyst

Price Target

$50

2026-01-05

New

upgrade

Hold

Buy

Reason

As previously reported, Melius Research upgraded Intel to Buy from Hold with a $50 price target. Recent news that Nvidia (NVDA) tested the 18A process node and didn't like it was "stale," says the analyst, who sees "a good chance" that Nvidia and Apple (AAPL) "take a hard look" at producing chips on the 14A node by 2028/2029. This news could fully filter into the stock going throughout 2026, driving higher book value, adds the analyst, who "really likes" Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan and says that "more importantly" more powerful people like President Trump, Secretary Lutnick, Jensen Huang and Lisa Su "like him even more as a business partner."

Raymond James

Market Perform

initiated

2026-01-02

New

Reason

Raymond James

Price Target

2026-01-02

New

initiated

Market Perform

Reason

Raymond James resumed coverage of Apple with a Market Perform rating and no price target. The firm believes Apple's current valuation appropriately reflects its strengths, thereby limiting near-term upside in the shares. The company's leadership in consumer hardware and its "highly sticky value proposition" are already well understood by investors, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Raymond James says that given Apple's broad user base, incremental gains from technology upgrade cycles "will become more difficult to attain, much less move the needle."

Needham

Buy

maintain

$150

2025-12-22

Reason

Needham

Price Target

$150

2025-12-22

maintain

Buy

Reason

Needham keeps a Buy rating and $150 price target on Universal Display (OLED). The firm is also naming the stock its Top Pick for 2026 while adding the name to its Conviction List in place of Montrose Environmental (MEG). Third-party data assume slower growth for the OLED market in 2026, but those forecasts have not always aligned with Universal Display's growth rates, which also offers two main drivers in 2026-27, the analyst tells investors in a research note. First - there is new OLED capacity coming on stream in Korea and China for the emerging IT market as devices increasingly adopt OLED technology, and second - within the smartphone market, which accounts for the bulk of Universal Display revenue, the long-awaited form-factor change appears in sight, with Apple (AAPL) expected to launch several iPhones over the next year, including the first foldable iPhone, Needham added.

About AAPL

Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and sells a variety of related services. Its product categories include iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Wearables, Home and Accessories. Its software platforms include iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS. Its services include advertising, AppleCare, cloud services, digital content and payment services. The Company operates various platforms, including the App Store, that allow customers to discover and download applications and digital content, such as books, music, video, games and podcasts. It also offers digital content through subscription-based services, including Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, and Apple TV+. Its products include iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 15, iPhone 14, iPhone SE, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro, iPad Pro, iPad Air, AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro.

About the author

Emily J. Thompson

Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.