Please refer to Nike's earnings press release or Nike's website, investors.nike.com, for comparable GAAP measures and quantitative reconciliations. All growth comparisons on the call today are presented on a year-over-year basis and are currency neutral unless otherwise noted. Our renewed obsession with sport and the success of our athletes is fueling energy for our brands and building momentum in our performance business, which grew mid-single digits this fiscal year. Our focus now is translating that brand strength into healthier demand, cleaner marketplaces, and sustainable growth.

You can see the same energy in our broader product pipeline too. We've now delivered five consecutive quarters of double-digit growth in Nike Running, and over that period, we've added roughly $1 billion to our running business. For the fiscal year, wholesale revenue grew 4%, led by double-digit growth in North America. We're also investing in experiences in our key countries and cities to accelerate demand.

As we strengthen NIKE, Inc.'s foundation, we're taking decisive action across our supply chain to lower cost, streamline operations, and rightsize our distribution network to match the demand ahead. That's especially important in Greater China, a critical long-term growth market for Nike, where we are fully committed to winning. In the near term, we're executing, cleaning up inventory, investing in must-win doors, and when we invest, we're seeing sales increase high single digits. As we scale the Sport Offense across more sports, we expect growth to expand beyond Running into Training, Basketball, and ACG.

What went well
  • Performance sport built momentum, growing mid-single digits for the fiscal year with positive year-over-year retail-sales comps across running, training and global football; Nike Running delivered a fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, added roughly $1 billion over that period, and gained five points of statement-footwear market share in North America and Western Europe.
  • The World Cup activation validated the Sport Offense: Nike sold 2.5x the national-team kits it did in the same period of the 2022 World Cup, the new Mercurial became the fastest-selling 24-hour launch for cleated footwear in Nike Direct history, and the football 'universe' campaign drew 1.5 billion story views in the first week.
  • A one-time $986 million benefit from probable recovery of IEEPA tariff claims lifted Q4 gross margin 890 basis points to 49.2% and EPS to $0.72 (over $300 million of cash collected by quarter end, the rest booked to receivables).
  • North America continued to lead the comeback with Q4 revenue up 3% and wholesale up 10%, and — importantly — grew both Nike revenue and retail-sales comps at Foot Locker for the first time in four years.
  • The company rebalanced its portfolio, reducing classic footwear franchises by more than $2 billion while keeping reported full-year revenue flat, and pulled promotions hard in EMEA (off-price down over 50%, a 15-point improvement in full-price realization) to reset digital as a premium business.
  • Gross margin excluding the tariff benefit fell only 10 basis points in Q4 (better than the guided down 25-75 bps), marking four straight quarters of sequential margin improvement on better North America discounting, lower reserves and fewer cancellations.
What went wrong
  • Nike Sportswear and Jordan streetwear — together roughly half of revenue — remained challenged, with Sportswear declining double digits in the quarter as weak sell-through pressured both current discounting and future order books; both are expected to stay negative in FY2027 with improvement only in the back half.
  • The macro environment deteriorated during the quarter: after a strong March (especially North America), retail-sales trends decelerated from mid-April as consumers came under pressure on traffic and discretionary spending, correlated with gas prices.
  • Reported Q4 revenue fell 1% (down 4% currency-neutral), with NIKE Direct down 9% (Nike Digital -12%, stores -7%); excluding the tariff benefit, Q4 EPS was just $0.20 and full-year EPS $1.58 (versus $2.10 and $2.10 down 3% reported).
  • Greater China revenue declined 17% (Nike Direct -14%, wholesale -19%, EBIT -20%) as the team executes a multi-quarter marketplace reset; management expects near-term China trends to stay in line with recent performance.
  • EMEA revenue fell 6% with Nike Digital down 24%, working through heightened inventory, elevated promotions, Middle East disruption and a heavier Sportswear mix; inventory dollars were up low double digits.
  • Nearly $400 million of severance charges were absorbed in fiscal 2026 for supply-chain and workforce actions, and management is not assuming the macro environment improves meaningfully over the next six months.

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodCurrent guidance
Earnings (Q4'26 through Q2'27 cumulative)3-quarter windowFlattish reaffirmed, excluding the tariff-recovery benefit
Revenue (Q1 FY2027)Q1 FY2027Down low-to-mid single digits (biggest driver vs Q4 is FX no longer a tailwind)
Revenue (Q2 FY2027)Q2 FY2027Sequential deceleration vs Q1 on tough comps (prior-year EMEA digital promotions and elevated North America wholesale)
Gross marginFY2027Expand in Q1, with structural supply-chain cost benefits building from Q2; path back toward double-digit operating margins
Sportswear / Jordan streetwearFY2027Expected to remain negative for the year with improvement in the back half; 12+ new Sportswear footwear styles launching in H2
Win Now actionsend of CY2026On track to sunset by end of calendar 2026; fuller outlook to be shared at the fall Investor Day

Performance Breakdown

MetricYoYNote
Revenue (reported) -1% (-4% currency-neutral) Modest North America growth more than offset by declines in Greater China, EMEA and Converse; full-year revenue flat reported (-2% cc).
GAAP diluted EPS $0.72 ($0.20 ex-tariff benefit) Boosted by the $986M one-time IEEPA tariff-recovery benefit; full-year EPS $2.10 (down 3%), $1.58 excluding the benefit.
Gross margin 49.2% (+890 bps) 900 bps from the tariff recovery; excluding it, 40.2%, down 10 bps on severance-related supply-chain costs — better than the guided decline.
Operating margin (reported) 11.9% Inflated by the tariff-recovery benefit in cost of sales; underlying margins stabilizing on North America discount improvement.
North America revenue +3% (wholesale +10%) Strong double-digit growth in global football and running plus kids and golf; EBIT up 91% reported (down 1% ex-tariff benefit); Foot Locker comps positive for the first time in four years.
Greater China revenue -17% Marketplace reset with lower sell-in, reduced promotions and inventory down double digits; House of Innovation Shanghai grew double digits and reset doors comped positively.
EMEA revenue -6% Heightened inventory/promotions, Middle East disruption and heavier Sportswear mix; off-price down 50% drove a 15-point full-price realization gain.
NIKE Direct -9% (Digital -12%, stores -7%) Deliberate reduction of digital promotions to reposition NIKE Direct as a premium, full-price business.

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious mentionCurrent periodTrend
Sport Offense operating modelStanding up vertical sport teamsAbout 8,000 teammates moved into vertical sport teams; the model is producing results first in Running and now expanding to Training, Basketball, Football and ACG, with the first full brief-to-market product wave across sports arriving spring 2027.
Sportswear / Jordan resetReducing classic franchises$2 billion of classic franchises removed in FY2026; dedicated consumer teams now leading a community-driven, innovation-led relaunch (12+ new footwear styles in H2 FY2027, new silhouettes rather than retros) — but management stresses it will take time to scale.
Greater China turnaroundCommitted long-termA comprehensive reset under Cathy Sparks toward a more premium, culturally connected, sport-led marketplace; local-for-local product arriving holiday 2027; sequential sell-through improvement and full-price recovery, with profitability expected to bottom before sales.
Innovation pipelineRebuilding product flowMomentum across Pegasus 42, Vomero Plus 2, AeroFit (moving from football kits into running apparel in fall 2026), Nike Mind (scaling beyond the slide in spring 2027), Free Metcon and new basketball (Caitlin Clark launch holiday 2026); management expects a relentless season-in, season-out product cadence.
Integrated marketplace elevationRebuilding wholesale, elevating doorsWholesale revenue grew 4% for the year (double digits in North America), 15,000+ wholesale spaces refreshed, 150+ elevated stores; elevation consistently drives stronger sell-through in owned and partner doors, and NIKE Direct is de-promoting to become premium.
Structural margin recoveryMargins under pressureFour consecutive quarters of sequential margin improvement; supply-chain make-cost actions (fewer facilities, smaller workforce, changed flow) that cost ~$400M in FY2026 are expected to drive expansion in FY2027 toward a double-digit operating-margin path, with a fuller framework at Investor Day.
CFO transitionCFO Matt Friend, after 17 years at Nike, is departing; multiple analysts noted the transition on the call as the company heads into its fall Investor Day.

Q&A Summary

Adrienne Yih (Barclays) asked how Nike can get performance success to halo over Sportswear while pulling back inventory and struggling with full-price sell-through there.
Hill said the sport business creates the authenticity/halo that differentiates Nike from fashion brands, which is why the Sport Offense matters; with $2B of classic franchises removed and dedicated teams now in place, Sportswear will launch 12+ new innovation-led footwear styles in H2 FY2027 and reposition as community-driven, though scaling will take time.
Bob Drbul (BTIG) asked about scaling the Nike Mind shoe and where Hill is most excited in the innovation pipeline over the next 6-18 months.
Hill said cross-functional sport teams are now producing a relentless flow of product (first full cross-sport wave in spring 2027); he highlighted Pegasus 42, AeroFit moving into running apparel, Vomero Plus 2, ACG's Radical AirFlow, the Mercurial pack for the Women's World Cup, new basketball, Nike Mind scaling in spring 2027, and Sportswear newness like the Moon Shoe.
Matthew Boss (JPMorgan) asked about sell-through cadence between performance and Sportswear, the optimal mix versus today's ~50/50, and to bridge the Q1/Q2 revenue guide.
Hill said a strong March gave way to an April deceleration on consumer pressure, with a World Cup-driven bounce in June; he will let the consumer decide the optimal mix rather than force targets. Friend said the biggest Q1 driver versus Q4 is FX no longer being a tailwind, and Q2 decelerates further on tough comps (prior-year EMEA digital promotions and elevated North America wholesale).
Lorraine Hutchinson (Bank of America) asked for more detail on China strategy, especially direct-to-consumer and digital.
Hill reiterated China as the second-largest market and a sport-led, premium, culturally relevant reset — running up mid-single digits, football up double digits, moving resources to territories/cities, elevating online and offline storefronts, deep local partnerships, and local-for-local product in holiday 2027. Friend added full-price digital recovery, double-digit growth at House of Innovation Shanghai, and profitability bottoming before sales.
Michael Binetti (Evercore ISI) asked where wholesale order books saw the most impact by geography and how retailers are approaching the spring/summer 2027 books given Nike's aggressive channel actions.
Hill reiterated flattish earnings over the guided three quarters with a changed composition (softer sell-through, weaker macro), revenues down low-to-mid single digits, gross margin expanding in Q1 with cost benefits from Q2, and promised more at Investor Day while emphasizing weekly sell-through tracking and order-book adjustments.
Aneesha Sherman (Bernstein) asked where the turnaround stands (is FY2028 the first 'normal' year?) and what drives the faster margin inflection aside from operating leverage.
Hill said nothing has been normal, the Win Now actions (launched December 2024) rebuilt the foundation and remain on track to sunset by end of CY2026, setting up the Sport Offense with more detail at the fall Investor Day. Friend attributed margin confidence to North America discount improvement, lower reserves/cancellations, four quarters of sequential improvement, and structural supply-chain make-cost reductions driving FY2027 expansion toward double-digit margins.
Ike Boruchow (Wells Fargo) asked whether any FY2027 quarters would see North America wholesale decline given sell-in and POS commentary.
Hill said North America continues to lead the comeback by centering on sport and elevating the marketplace, driving stronger sell-through for Nike and partners. Friend clarified the Q4 +10% wholesale growth was not a 10% sell-in (much came from lower returns, reserves, discounts and cancellations), flagged a tough Q2 North America compare, and tied the retail-sales blip to gas prices while reaffirming North America is furthest ahead.

More on NIKE, Inc.

Reported 2026-06-30 · figures from the NIKE, Inc. Q4 2026 earnings call.

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