NKE Steps Up on Wells Fargo Upgrade, Technicals & Options Back Bull Run

Core Viewpoint - Nike's shares have seen an increase following Wells Fargo's upgrade to overweight and a price target raise from $60 to $75, indicating improved visibility into sales and margins after a prolonged negative estimate revision cycle [1] Stock Performance - Nike's shares are up nearly 7% this week but have declined 13% year-to-date, highlighting a mixed performance in the context of the broader market [2] Technical Analysis - Over the past three months, Nike's stock has shown a steady downtrend but is beginning to improve, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) moving above the 50 midline and both the five-day and 21-day moving averages trending upwards [3][4] - Short-term traders are looking for a crossover of key moving averages to signal further recovery, although significant progress is still needed compared to historical performance [4] Options Activity - Call options are trading at a ratio of 4 to 1 against puts, indicating bullish sentiment, particularly following the positive Wells Fargo note [6] - Approximately 20% of trading activity is concentrated in options expiring at the end of the week, with notable open interest levels at $62 for puts and $65 for calls, suggesting traders are positioning for potential upward movement [7] Market Context - Nike's ability to outperform in a challenging market environment, where only 30% of S&P 500 stocks are higher, suggests a potential turnaround, especially with favorable news on the horizon [9]