Nike

NKE

Market cap $95.8B

Nike and Starbucks both are iconic companies that have been struggling to generate growth in recent years. Their margins have also come under pressure.

NIKE battles tariff-driven margin pressure as Q2 gross margin slid 300 bps, prompting pricing moves, cost controls and supply-chain shifts.

Nike has been losing market share for years, and that trend is likely to continue. The apparel segment was the only part of the business that meaningfully grew in its fiscal 2026 Q2, and that growth decelerated sequentially.

Shares of Nike (NASDAQ:NKE) have been flying higher ever since Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook, who's also on Nike's board of directors (and has been for quite some time), backed up the truck on shares of the sneaker giant, picking up around $3 million worth of shares.

Nike signed a deal with pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters in the company's first partnership in the sport. The 18-year-old will represent Nike in apparel and footwear across all competitions and serve as a global ambassador as the sport continues its rapid growth.

The sportswear retailer could become a dividend aristocrat at the end of 2026, having raised its payout every year since 2002.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average itself yields modestly, but the Dogs of the Dow 2026 pack more dividend bite. The index's top payers dish up to 6.8%.

Nike's CEO believes that the business is in the “middle innings” of its turnaround. Financial results will continue to be disappointing in the near term, but Nike's brand power can't be denied.

Insider buying is one of the most closely watched trading signals. Insiders and executives have many reasons to sell their company's stock; it's part of their overall compensation.

Even suggesting that the Dogs of the Dow could outperform the Magnificent 7 in 2026 seems ludicrous.