Josh Brown says he's not sure if Nike can ever turn it around

CNBC

29-05-2025

Household brand Nike is not setting itself up for a successful turnaround, according to Josh Brown, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management and CNBC PRO contributor . The widely followed investor believes that the iconic footwear brand isn't keeping up with the fierce competition as its celebrity spokespeople age out of popularity. The stock has fallen another 19% this year following a 30% loss in 2024. "The superstars that are all aging. LeBron James is in his 40s. Michael Jordan is 30 years retired," Brown said on CNBC's " Halftime Report ." "I don't even know what we do with something like Nike here. It's just a falling knife. It's a really tough one." In late March, Nike said it expected its sales to decline in the fiscal fourth quarter to be at the "low end" of the "mid-teens range," far worse than analysts expected. The company said its guidance is based on its ongoing restructuring efforts, plus tariffs and sliding consumer confidence. NKE 5Y mountain Nike, 5 years Nike did beat Wall Street's expectations in its fiscal third quarter, however. "This is a stock that is effectively sitting on an eight year low. It keeps making lower lows even when they have a 'better than expected quarter,' within a week, stocks down," Brown said. Nike said last week it will raise prices on a wide range of footwear , apparel and equipment as the retail industry braces for tariffs to hit its profits, The investor said Nike has been getting by through selling staple sneakers like Air Force Ones and Jordans, but that's not enough to beat competition. "This is the same thing they've been doing," Brown said. "You've got these other brands that have come along. They don't have meaningful market share, but they're forcing Nike to fight defensively in key markets, like running." All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL'S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. INVESTING INVOLVES RISK. EXAMPLES OF ANALYSIS CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE ONLY EXAMPLES. THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE CONTRIBUTORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OFFICIAL POLICY OR POSITION OF RITHOLTZ WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC. JOSH BROWN IS THE CEO OF RITHOLTZ WEALTH MANAGEMENT AND MAY MAINTAIN A SECURITY POSITION IN THE SECURITIES DISCUSSED. ASSUMPTIONS MADE WITHIN THE ANALYSIS ARE NOT REFLECTIVE OF THE POSITION OF RITHOLTZ WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC" TO THE END OF OR OUR DISCLOSURE. Click here for the full disclaimer.