Oppenheimer's Brian Nagel shares his bull case for Nike

Core Viewpoint - Nike's shares have declined nearly 13% following disappointing guidance during its earnings call, with the stock losing almost a quarter of its value this year, yet Oppenheimer maintains a bullish outlook, ranking Nike as a top play for 2026 with a price target of $120, the highest on Wall Street [1] Group 1: Earnings Call Insights - The management team at Nike is focusing on areas where they are seeing success, particularly in wholesale growth in North America, which is a positive sign for the company's turnaround efforts [2][3] - New product introductions, especially in the running category, are resonating well with consumers, contributing to improved performance in North America [3] - Despite ongoing weakness in China and direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales, there are still significant opportunities for Nike to turn around its performance in other regions [4][5] Group 2: Future Outlook and Price Target - Oppenheimer's price target of $120 is based on expectations of earnings recovery, with a projected earnings per share (EPS) growth from depressed levels to normalized levels over time [7][10] - Nike is currently facing challenges such as tariffs, which are expected to cost the company $1.5 billion, impacting profitability in the short term [8][9] - The company is working to offset these tariffs over the next year and a half, which is anticipated to improve earnings and market respect for its long-term earnings potential [9][10]