
By Yasin Ebrahim
Investing.com -- Nike reported Thursday better-than-expected first-quarter results, though performance was held back by a slip in margins as price cuts at its Nike direct business in North America and weakness in China weighed.
Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) shares lost 2% in after-hours trade following the report.
Nike announced earnings per share of $0.93 on revenue of $12.69 billion. Analysts polled by Investing.com anticipated EPS of $0.92 on revenue of $12.29 billion.
Nike brand digital sales increased 16%, led by "double-digit growth in EMEA, North America and APLA, partially offset by declines in Greater China," the company said.
Sales in North America fell 4%, while in China, a key market for the company, sales fell 16% to $1.66 billion.
Gross margin decreased 220 basis points to 44.3%, led by higher freight and logistics costs and price cuts in its NIKE Direct business, and unfavorable changes in net foreign currency exchange rates.
"The overall decrease in margins was primarily driven by North America, which took measures to liquidate excess inventory through NIKE Direct markdowns and wholesale marketplace actions," the company said.
Begin trading today! Create an account by completing our form
At One Financial Markets we are committed to safeguarding your privacy.
Please see our Privacy Policy for details about what information is collected from you and why it is collected. We do not sell your information or use it other than as described in the Policy.
Please note that it is in our legitimate business interest to send you certain marketing emails from time to time. However, if you would prefer not to receive these you can opt-out by ticking the box below.
Alternatively, you can use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the Demo account confirmation email or any subsequent emails we send.
By completing the form and downloading the platform you agree with the use of your personal information as detailed in the Policy.