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Investing.com - BMO Capital raised its price target on Empire Company (TSX:EMP.A) (OTC:EMLAF) to C$55.00 from C$53.00 while maintaining a Market Perform rating. For deeper insights into Empire Company’s valuation metrics and comprehensive financial analysis, InvestingPro subscribers can access detailed research reports with real-time data and expert insights.
The price target increase follows Empire’s fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results, which BMO noted showed "sequential strengthening behaviour" among the company’s shoppers.
BMO expressed caution about assuming further sequential acceleration in same-store sales, partly due to the company facing stronger comparable sales in the second half of fiscal 2026.
The research firm remains comfortable with its assumption for annual gross margin expansion of 20 basis points for Empire Company.
BMO highlighted that Empire’s fourth-quarter selling, general and administrative expenses showed improvement compared to historical trends, but indicated it would like to see more quarters of similar performance as this represents a key component for driving consistent 8-11% earnings per share growth.
In other recent news, Nike (NYSE:NKE)’s earnings and revenue developments have attracted significant attention. UBS raised its price target for Nike to $63.00 from $56.00, citing improvements in inventory levels and a stronger sales growth outlook. However, UBS maintained a Neutral rating, expressing concerns about potential tariff impacts and skepticism regarding continued fundamental improvements. Meanwhile, Truist Securities increased its price target to $85.00, highlighting Nike’s progress in turnaround efforts and improved channel inventories. Truist also noted that new products are gaining traction, suggesting a clearer path to sales growth and margin recovery.
Piper Sandler also raised its price target to $80.00, emphasizing positive signs in Nike’s wholesale demand and a better-than-expected sales decline for the fiscal first quarter of 2026. The firm expects Wall Street projections to settle between $1.60-$1.80 for the full year. Williams Trading reiterated its Buy rating with a $73.00 price target, identifying the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 as a turning point for sales and margin trends. Bernstein maintained an Outperform rating, citing inventory clearance progress and projecting a gradual improvement in Nike’s recovery strategy. These recent developments indicate a cautious optimism among analysts regarding Nike’s future performance.
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