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American workers are feeling more pressure in their lives, with a greater share reporting that they feel they’re struggling than thriving in a new poll by Gallup.

Gallup on Tuesday released fresh data for the firm’s Life Evaluation Index, which measured how people rate their current and expected future lives since 2008. It asks respondents to evaluate their current and future lives on a 10-point scale, which is broken down as “thriving,” “struggling” or “suffering.”

The firm’s survey of U.S. workers conducted in the fourth quarter of 2025 found that the share of those thriving declined from 50% the same quarter a year ago to 46%, while those struggling rose from 46% to 49% in that period.

“For the first time since Gallup began measuring the life evaluation of the American workforce, more U.S. workers are struggling in their lives (49%) than thriving (46%),” the polling and analytics firm noted. Additionally, 5% of respondents were classified as “suffering.”

FED’S FAVORED INFLATION GAUGE REMAINED STUBBORNLY HIGH IN JANUARY AS CONSUMER PRICE PRESSURES PERSIST

The shift comes as a contrast with the index’s findings in 2022 and 2023, when the share of American workers who said they’re “thriving” was in the low-to-mid-50s in what was an indication of resilience after the economic turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The last decade saw relatively high numbers of respondents classified as thriving, with Gallup’s metric remaining steady between 57% and 60% from 2009 to 2019.

Respondents classified as thriving briefly dipped to 55% in 2020 before it rebounded in 2021, but the figure has generally been on a steady decline since then.

VANCE LABELS SURGE IN GAS PRICES A ‘TEMPORARY BLOW,’ ACKNOWLEDGES PEOPLE ARE ‘HURTING’ DURING IRAN WAR

The share of respondents who were thriving hit a recent peak in the third quarter of 2022, when it was 55% compared to 41% of respondents who were struggling. That 14-percentage point spread in favor of thriving was the largest differential since 2022.

“The slide in workers’ thriving rate has been gradual but consistent. No quarter since early 2024 has shown sustained improvement – meaning back-to-back quarters when the thriving rate increased,” Gallup wrote.

Workers who are struggling instead of thriving also pose challenges to employers, who may face more absenteeism or turnover from struggling workers.

“The significance to organizations and the economy is real given that worker wellbeing has a tangible impact on organization’s bottom line. Gallup research finds that workers who are not thriving are more likely to miss work due to illness and to be seeking or watching for a new job,” the firm added.

“Thriving employees miss 53% fewer days of work due to health problems and are 32% less likely to be actively seeking a new job. As thriving falls, organizational performance risks follow,” Gallup explained.

US ECONOMIC GROWTH REVISED LOWER IN FOURTH QUARTER

While the report indicated that all major segments of the U.S. workforce experienced a worsening outlook on their lives since 2022, Gallup noted that federal workers have seen a more severe and rapid decline in their outlooks.

Federal workers were more likely than the average U.S. worker to be thriving in 2022, when they had an average of 60%. That was six points above the national average and four points higher than state and local government workers.

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By late 2025, federal workers’ thriving rate fell 12 points to an average of 48%, far outpacing the decline for average U.S. workers, whose rate was down six points to 48%, as well as state and local government workers, whose combined thriving rate was down six points to 50%.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is steering the artificial intelligence juggernaut through one of its most turbulent and transformative periods, rejecting a massive unsolicited buyout offer from Elon Musk while forging new partnerships with Amazon and the U.S. Department of Defense, even as he grapples publicly with the technology’s disruptive impact on jobs and capitalism itself.

Altman, 40, has emerged as the public face of the AI revolution, balancing ambitious product launches like the Sora video generation app with high-stakes business maneuvers that have drawn both praise and sharp criticism. As OpenAI pushes toward enterprise dominance and potential trillion-dollar valuations in 2026, Altman finds himself at the center of debates over AI’s societal costs, including layoffs, energy consumption and the future of human labor.

In a striking development this month, Altman flatly rejected a $97.4 billion bid for OpenAI from a group linked to Musk, declaring the company “not for sale.” The move underscores deepening tensions between the two tech titans, whose rivalry has spilled into competing AI ventures and public spats. OpenAI, valued in the hundreds of billions after recent funding rounds, continues to attract massive investment interest even as it navigates internal pressures and external competition from Google, Anthropic and Musk’s xAI.

Adding to the drama, reports emerged of a major Amazon deal involving Altman that has reportedly cost OpenAI $13 billion in strained relations with longtime partner Microsoft. Microsoft is said to be considering legal action over the arrangement, highlighting the fragile alliances powering the AI boom. Altman has also been active in fundraising, courting Middle East investors for potential billions and eyeing valuations approaching $830 billion or higher.

Sora Advances and Product Momentum

On the product front, Altman has been bullish about OpenAI’s video capabilities. The company recently shared updates on Sora, its text-to-video model, including a new Sora 2 app designed to make creating, sharing and viewing AI-generated videos more accessible. Altman noted strong user feedback and excitement from rightsholders about “interactive fan fiction” possibilities, signaling OpenAI’s push into entertainment and creative tools. Sora has climbed to the top of U.S. app charts in some categories, reflecting growing consumer adoption.

Altman has predicted that 2026 will mark a pivotal year for AI, with breakthroughs in areas like “infinite, perfect memory” for personal assistants and AI-driven scientific discoveries. In interviews and speeches, he has emphasized shifting focus from raw intelligence (“IQ”) gains to practical redesigns of user experiences and enterprise applications. OpenAI plans to prioritize selling AI tools to businesses next year, addressing what Altman calls an “application problem” rather than purely a training one.

Acknowledging AI’s Disruptive Toll

Yet Altman has not shied away from AI’s darker implications. Speaking at the BlackRock Infrastructure Summit in Washington in March, he acknowledged that AI is fundamentally altering the balance between labor and capital — a shift he described as a “real change to how capitalism has worked.”

“If it’s hard in many of our current jobs to outwork a GPU, then that changes,” Altman said, validating fears of widespread job displacement. He admitted that nobody has a clear consensus solution for the “painful adjustment” ahead, even as President Donald Trump and others have warned of an AI public relations crisis. The comments drew backlash online, with critics labeling them “disgusting” for seemingly downplaying human workers’ roles.

Altman has also faced scrutiny over AI’s environmental footprint, including ChatGPT’s energy and water use. At the same event, he described the business model of major AI providers as “selling tokens,” prompting further debate about the industry’s sustainability.

Despite the criticism, Altman maintains optimism. He has downplayed hype around certain competitors while touting OpenAI’s progress toward autonomous AI agents and better coding models. The company recently announced an agreement to deploy models on the Department of Defense’s classified networks, a move that drew backlash but was later adjusted amid concerns. OpenAI and Anthropic’s CEOs notably avoided a hand-holding photo op at an India AI summit, highlighting industry frictions.

Personal Ventures and Broader Ambitions

Beyond OpenAI, Altman continues to pursue side projects. He co-founded Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface startup positioned as a rival to Musk’s Neuralink. The venture raised $252 million and plans collaboration with OpenAI. Altman has also invested heavily in longevity biotech through Retro Biosciences and nuclear energy via Helion, aiming to power the massive data centers needed for AI’s future.

Worldcoin, Altman’s biometric identity project involving iris scans, has seen token volatility tied to OpenAI rumors, including potential uses for bot detection on social platforms. Reports suggest OpenAI may explore a “bot-free” social network leveraging Worldcoin technology, sending the WLD token surging at times.

OpenAI itself faces a “make-or-break” 2026, with projected cash burn of $17 billion and ambitious plans for custom chips, consumer devices and data center buildouts that could consume power equivalent to entire nations. Speculation swirls about a potential initial public offering late in the year at a valuation up to $1 trillion, though Altman has indicated no immediate plans.

Industry Tensions and the Road Ahead

Rivalries remain intense. Altman issued a company-wide “code red” last year as Google’s Gemini advanced rapidly. OpenAI has acquired developer tools like Astral to bolster its Codex coding efforts and continues expanding into healthcare, e-commerce and government applications.

Critics question whether OpenAI can sustain its lead amid talent wars, regulatory scrutiny and ethical concerns, including lawsuits over ChatGPT’s role in sensitive cases. Altman’s personal life has also drawn attention, with a dismissed but refilable lawsuit from his sister and reports of his Hawaii home listing for $49 million.

As AI adoption accelerates — with ChatGPT and successors transforming workflows — Altman envisions a future where AI acts as a “participant in your life” through perfect memory and relational capabilities. He has urged global regulation while pushing OpenAI’s growth.

Industry observers say 2026 will test whether OpenAI can convert its technological edge into sustainable profits without exacerbating societal divides. Altman, ever the optimist, sees abundant intelligence ahead but concedes the transition will be messy.

“Growth in the use of AI services has been astonishing; we expect it to be even more astonishing going forward,” he wrote in a recent blog post. Yet in speeches, he strikes a more cautious tone: The path to superhuman AI and beyond remains uncertain, demanding careful navigation of power, compute and human impacts.

For now, Altman remains at the helm of the world’s most valuable private AI company, juggling innovation, competition and controversy. Whether OpenAI delivers on its lofty promises — or stumbles under the weight of its ambitions — may define not just his legacy, but the trajectory of artificial intelligence in the 21st century.

MELBOURNE — As geopolitical fault lines deepen across the Persian Gulf, a haunting question has returned to the corridors of Parliament House in Canberra: Is Australia prepared for another protracted conflict in the Middle East?

With the 2026 security landscape defined by a volatile “tit-for-tat” cycle between Washington and Tehran, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) finds itself at a strategic crossroads. While the federal government maintains a policy of “calculated restraint,” military analysts and regional experts warn that the threshold for Australian involvement is shifting from “if” to “how.”

The ANZUS Factor: A Century of Commitment

The bedrock of Australia’s military involvement remains the ANZUS Treaty. Historically, Australia has been the only ally to join the United States in every major conflict of the last century. However, 2026 is not 2003.

Unlike the lead-up to the Iraq War, the current Australian government faces a more skeptical public and a Defense Force currently undergoing a massive “Pivot to the North.” Under the 2024 National Defence Strategy, the ADF has been restructured to prioritize the Indo-Pacific—specifically the maritime approaches to Australia’s north—rather than desert warfare in the Levant.

“The appetite for a ground war is at an all-time low,” says Dr. Elena Vance, a senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). “But the pressure to support our primary sovereign ally, the United States, in maintaining the ‘rules-based order’ remains the gravity that pulls our foreign policy.”

Chokepoints and Coalitions: The Maritime Trigger

If Australia is drawn in, it likely won’t start with boots on the ground, but with hulls in the water. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which 20% of the world’s petroleum passes, is the most probable “tripwire.”

In early 2026, Iranian-backed “swarm” tactics involving unmanned surface vessels (USVs) have increasingly harassed commercial shipping. For Australia, this isn’t just a distant military concern—it is an economic one. Australia’s national fuel reserve remains famously thin, often cited at less than 30 days of commercial supply. A total blockage of the Strait would send Sydney and Melbourne petrol prices soaring toward $3.50 per liter within a fortnight.

Historically, Australia has contributed a Hobart-class destroyer or a Anzac-class frigate to international maritime security operations in the Gulf. In 2026, the ADF’s contribution would likely be focused on Project Sea 1905, utilizing autonomous mine-countermeasure systems to keep trade lanes open without risking high-value manned assets.

The Ground War Dilemma: Special Forces vs. Infantry

The term “Ground War” in 2026 looks vastly different than the invasions of the past. If the U.S. requests Australian assistance in a conflict with Iran, military planners suggest the ADF would offer a “niche and scalable” force rather than a brigade-strength infantry deployment.

1. The SASR and Commando Role

Australia’s Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and the 2nd Commando Regiment remain the “preferred” contribution for Canberra. Their role would likely focus on:

• CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue): Retrieving downed Allied pilots.
• Target Acquisition: Identifying mobile missile launchers in the Iranian interior.
• Advisory Roles: Working with regional partners like the UAE or Saudi Arabia.

2. The Cyber and Space Front

For the first time in an Australian conflict, the Joint Capabilities Group would lead. Iranian state-sponsored actors have already demonstrated the ability to target “soft” infrastructure. A 2026 conflict would see the ADF’s cyber-warriors engaged in defensive operations to protect Australian banks and power grids from retaliatory strikes—a “ground war” fought in servers rather than trenches.

The China Constraint: Why 2026 is Different

The most significant deterrent to an Australian ground presence in the Middle East is the “Two-Front” nightmare.

Department of Defence officials are acutely aware that any significant depletion of ADF resources in the Middle East creates a “strategic vacuum” in the South China Sea. Beijing’s increasing assertiveness near the Second Thomas Shoal and the Taiwan Strait means Australia’s premium assets—such as the F-35A Lightning II fleet and the new Hunter-class frigates—are required closer to home.

“Every soldier we send to the Gulf is a soldier we don’t have for the Pacific,” notes a retired ADF Brigadier, speaking on condition of anonymity. “In 2026, the Middle East is a distraction we can ill-afford, yet a catastrophe we cannot ignore.”

Public Sentiment and the “Cost of Living” Conflict

Domestic politics will play a decisive role. Unlike the 1990s, the 2026 Australian public is hyper-aware of the correlation between Middle Eastern stability and the cost of living.

A recent poll suggests that while 65% of Australians oppose “combat troop” deployment, nearly 55% support “defensive naval action” to protect fuel prices. The government’s challenge will be threading the needle: supporting the U.S. enough to maintain the alliance, but not so much that it triggers a domestic backlash during an election year.

Conclusion: A Support Role, Not a Lead Role

As it stands in March 2026, the likelihood of a massive ADF ground deployment to Iran or its neighbors is low. However, the probability of “Integrated Support”—comprising maritime patrol, cyber defense, and elite special forces—is at its highest point in a decade.

Australia’s role will be that of a “Force Multiplier.” By providing specialized high-tech capabilities, Canberra can fulfill its ANZUS obligations while keeping the bulk of its conventional forces stationed in the Indo-Pacific.

The “War of 2026” may not be defined by the number of boots on the ground, but by the number of bits in the cloud and drones in the strait. For the ADF, the mission is no longer just about winning a battle; it’s about managing a global ripple effect that threatens the Australian way of life.

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Q4: 2026-03-18 Earnings Summary

EPS of $0.02 beats by $0.02

 | Revenue of $20.49M (13.59% Y/Y) beats by $1.02M

Tantalus Systems Holding Inc. (GRID:CA) Discusses Record Revenue and EBITDA Growth in Q4 and Year-End Results Overview March 24, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

Company Participants

Peter Londa – CEO, President & Director
Azim Lalani – Chief Financial Officer

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Conference Call Participants

Deborah Honig – Adelaide Capital

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Presentation

Deborah Honig
Adelaide Capital

All right. Good morning, everyone. Thanks for joining us today. We have an update with Tantalus Systems. They just reported their Q4 and year-end results, which were fantastic. For those of you that have not listened to the earnings webinar and gone through the financials, we’re not going to do a deep dive. We’re just going to hit on the high level and really just open it up for Q&A. So feel free to access those materials. There is a replay available and as well, you can check out the financials on SEDAR or on the company’s website.

With that out of the way, I’d like to introduce Peter Londa, President and CEO; and Azim Lalani, CFO of Tantalus. Thanks for your time, gentlemen.

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Peter Londa
CEO, President & Director

Yes. Thanks for having us.

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Deborah Honig
Adelaide Capital

Yes. Great results. Maybe you can walk us through some of the high-level points.

Peter Londa
CEO, President & Director

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Absolutely. I’ll just — I’ll cover the high-level financials and commercial highlights from the quarter and the year. And then as we go, Azim can certainly dive in, in more detail to the — for those that have questions as it relates to the financial performance of the business.

So Deb, to your comments, we were really pleased with both the quarter and the way 2025 ended for our team as referenced in the materials that were presented last week, we achieved a number of significant milestones for the company. In no particular order, but

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United Airlines is warning that airfares could rise up to 20% if the cost of jet fuel remains elevated for longer due to the spike in oil prices amid the war in Iran.

United CEO Scott Kirby said in an interview on Bloomberg TV on Tuesday that the airline anticipates consumer demand for air travel will soften if higher fuel prices continue to push ticket prices higher.

Kirby added that United has already moved to cut 5% of its capacity on routes that aren’t profitable and don’t cover the cost of higher fuel prices, though he said that demand remains very strong for now.

“Demand is incredibly strong right now,” Kirby told Bloomberg, adding that he does think that oil prices will be “higher for longer.”

UNITED DOUBLES DOWN ON PREMIUM TRAVEL, NEW AIRPLANES

“It’s reasonable for us to plan for that regardless, because the downside is pretty limited. If we leave a little bit of demand on the table by not flying as much this summer, so what, that’s not a big deal. But it gives us more optionality on the other side for the recovery,” he said in the interview.

Kirby said the firm’s forecast that oil prices may rise as high as $175 a barrel and remain above $100 a barrel through the end of next year is “reasonable, I hope it’s better and there’s a good chance it’s better, but I think it’s also reasonable.”

The United Airlines CEO told Bloomberg that if oil prices surge to the peak of the company’s forecast it would be a “stress event” for the airline industry, and would be “nowhere near the magnitude of what happened in COVID.”

UNITED AIRLINES SLASHES FLIGHTS AS IRAN WAR SENDS FUEL PRICES SOARING

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
UAL	UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC.	93.56	-0.40	-0.43%

While some global airlines have historically hedged against spikes in fuel costs through investment strategies, Kirby said in the interview that because of the company’s size it’s “really tough for us to hedge” because it moves the market when it tries to do so.

He said the company has been focused on its margins and has tripled the amount of cash it keeps on its balance sheet as an alternative to hedging fuel costs.

Kirby added that if oil prices remain at their current level it amounts to about an $11 billion expense for United, which would translate to about a 20% increase in airfares for the company to break even and cover that cost. 

UNITED AIRLINES CAN NOW REFUSE TO TRANSPORT PASSENGERS WHO WON’T WEAR HEADPHONES

He also noted that while prices are up relative to a year ago, airfares in 2025 were 2% lower than they were in 2019, even as inflation was up 25%, so the 15%-20% rise in airfares in recent weeks is “covering half to 60% of the inflationary increase.”

Kirby was asked about the incident at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport over the weekend, in which an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck while the airliner was landing. Both the pilot and first officer were killed, while dozens of injuries were reported.

He told Bloomberg that the U.S. air travel system is safe and is “by far the safest way to travel of any mode of transportation.”

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Kirby added that he thinks there should be more investment in technology and staffing for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and that he sees the Trump administration as being committed to those priorities, which the CEO said should garner bipartisan support.

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FLSmidth & Co. A/S (FLIDY) Shareholder/Analyst Call March 24, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

Company Participants

Mads Nipper

Conference Call Participants

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Louise Celia Korpela

Presentation

Mads Nipper

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Dear shareholders, it is now 4:00 PM. And as Chairman of the Board, it’s a pleasure for me to welcome you to this Annual General Meeting of FLSmidth. This is the first time for decades that we are holding our AGM outside our previous headquarters in Valby. We moved away from there earlier this year. We moved into the new offices at Havneholmen, down the street here in Copenhagen. This was also the beginning of a new era for FLSmidth and I’m going to come back to that later on in my report. To take us through this AGM, the Board has selected attorney Louise Korpela. And I give the floor to you, Louise.

Louise Celia Korpela

Thank you very much. My first job as Chair is to make sure that the meeting has been duly convened and is quorate. There must be minimum 3, maximum 5 weeks’ notice via the company’s website and by sending notice to those shareholders who have so requested. The convening notice was sent out on the 27th of February, which was within the time line and also in the correct manner. It also contains, as I said, all the information which is required under Danish company law and the company’s Articles of Association, and all the information the company is requested or obligated to make available to shareholders has been made available. So the meeting has been duly convened. Behind me, you see the agenda. It contains the usual items that need to be included according to the articles and then we also have proposals from the Board of Directors concerning an updated version of the remuneration policy and also the acquisition of treasury shares and also prolongation of

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New Delhi: India’s private sector growth slowed to its weakest pace in more than three-and-a-half years in March as the West Asia conflict dampened demand and output, even as international sales hit a record high, a private survey showed on Tuesday.

The HSBC Flash India Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 56.5 in March from 58.9 in February and 59.5 a year earlier. The composite PMI combines manufacturing and services indices, with readings above 50 signalling expansion and those below indicating contraction.

“Output growth eased across both manufacturing and services as the energy shock unfolds,” said Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC. Manufacturing activity weakened more sharply, with the PMI falling to 53.8 in March from 56.9 in February. Market volatility and consumer uncertainty linked to the conflict led to the slowest rise in factory output since August 2021. The services PMI eased to 57.2 from 58.1.

Inflationary pressures intensified during the month. Input costs, including oil, energy, food, aluminium, steel and chemicals, rose to a 45-month high, while selling prices increased to a seven-month high.

“Cost pressures intensified, but companies are absorbing part of the increase by squeezing margins,” said Bhandari.

Thousands of users worldwide are reporting disruptions to Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot integrated into Elon Musk’s social media platform, X.

Starting approximately at 1:00 AM AEDT on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, reports began surging on outage tracking sites like Downdetector and StatusGator. Users across Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom have noted that the AI is either failing to generate responses or is stuck on a perpetual “loading” screen.

Current Status: What We Know So Far

As of this writing, the official xAI Status Page has not yet acknowledged a widespread system failure, currently listing services as “Operational.” However, independent monitoring services tell a different story.

• Report Spikes: Over 100 user-submitted reports have been logged in the last hour alone, specifically citing “Server not responding” and “App not loading.”
• Regional Impact: While the disruption appears global, the highest concentration of reports is coming from major tech hubs, including California, Illinois, and London.
• Error Messages: Many X Premium and Premium+ subscribers are receiving a generic error message: “Grok is experiencing issues. We are working on restoring services as quickly as possible.”

A Pattern of Instability in 2026?

This latest incident follows a string of technical hurdles for xAI in early 2026. Earlier this month, on March 10, Grok suffered a significant two-hour outage that affected both the web and mobile versions.

Industry analysts suggest that the frequent “high demand” errors and rate-limiting issues may be linked to the recent rollout of Grok-3, which significantly increased the model’s compute requirements.

“Elon Musk’s push to make Grok the most powerful AI in the world comes with massive infrastructure growing pains,” says tech analyst Marcus Thorne. “When you’re running a model of this scale directly integrated into a global social network, any minor networking hiccup becomes a massive public-facing outage.”

How to Check if Grok is Down for You

If you are currently experiencing issues with Grok, there are several ways to verify if it is a local problem or a platform-wide outage:

1. Check the Official Status: Visit status.x.ai for the official word from the engineering team.
2. Monitor X (formerly Twitter): Search the hashtag #GrokDown or #XDown. Usually, the community reports issues minutes before the official status pages are updated.
3. Try an Alternate Platform: Sometimes the Grok Web App remains functional even when the integration within the X mobile app is failing.

The Broader Context: Security and Contracts

The outage comes at a sensitive time for xAI. Just last week, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a formal inquiry to the Department of Defense regarding the safety and reliability of Grok, following reports that the AI was being tested for use in classified systems.

A $200 million government contract is reportedly on the line, and persistent uptime issues could play into the hands of critics who argue that xAI lacks the “reputation and track record” required for high-stakes military and governmental applications.

Expected Resolution

Historically, xAI and X have been relatively quick to resolve minor networking “hiccups,” with most outages being fixed within 30 to 90 minutes. However, if the issue is related to a deeper “data poisoning” vulnerability or a server-side crash—as seen in the January 16 global outage—the downtime could stretch into several hours.

Nike Inc. shares rose more than 2% in midday trading Wednesday, trading around $53.80, as investors eyed the athletic giant’s upcoming quarterly results and signs of progress in CEO Elliott Hill’s multiyear turnaround plan.

The stock, which hit a 52-week low of $52.18 earlier this month, remains down sharply from its highs of the past year. It has fallen about 17% year-to-date and more than 20% over the trailing 12 months, reflecting persistent challenges in consumer demand, margin pressure and competition from fast-fashion rivals.

As of midday Wednesday, March 25, Nike (NYSE: NKE) shares were up $1.10, or roughly 2.1%, at $53.81 on volume exceeding 4.8 million shares. The stock closed Tuesday at $52.71 after a modest 0.65% gain. Its 52-week range spans $52.18 to $80.17, with a market capitalization near $78 billion.

Nike faces a tough environment. For the full fiscal 2025 year, the company reported a 9.84% revenue decline and a 43.53% drop in net income, underscoring the depth of its slowdown after years of pandemic-fueled growth followed by overreliance on direct-to-consumer sales.

In the most recent reported quarter — fiscal 2026 second quarter ended Nov. 30, 2025 — revenue rose 1% to $12.43 billion, beating analyst expectations of about $12.2 billion. Wholesale revenue jumped 8% to $7.5 billion, signaling improving relationships with retail partners, while NIKE Direct sales fell 8-9%. Gross margin contracted 300 basis points to 40.6%, and diluted earnings per share came in at 53 cents, topping forecasts of 37-38 cents but down from 78 cents a year earlier.

Net income for the quarter fell 32% to $792 million.

Hill, who took over as CEO in late 2024 after a long career at the company, has centered his strategy on “Win Now” actions. The plan emphasizes five pillars: culture, product innovation, marketing, marketplace (rebuilding wholesale) and in-person experiences. He has refocused the brand on sport and athletes, accelerated new product launches, streamlined operations and cut jobs in distribution.

“We’re in the middle innings of our comeback,” Hill said following the second-quarter results.

He has traveled globally to reconnect with leagues, teams and athletes, aiming to restore Nike’s cultural edge. In a recent New York Times profile, Hill described emulating co-founder Phil Knight’s hands-on style and pushing for faster innovation cycles, such as developing a chunky running shoe in eight months instead of the usual 18.

Analysts have noted early progress in North America, where wholesale momentum has helped stabilize sales. Hill has said the turnaround is spreading from Europe to Asia, though China remains a drag. The company has also explored potential strategic moves, including speculation about exiting or restructuring its Converse brand.

Investors will get a fresh look when Nike reports fiscal 2026 third-quarter results after the market close on Tuesday, March 31. Analysts expect revenue of about $11.23 billion, down from the prior year, with earnings per share around 29-32 cents. The quarter is projected to show continued pressure, including an 11% sales decline in some estimates — the steepest in recent periods.

Wall Street’s view remains mixed but leans cautiously optimistic. Consensus among roughly two dozen to three dozen analysts rates Nike a Moderate Buy or Buy, with an average 12-month price target around $73 to $76 — implying 35-40% upside from current levels. High targets reach $110, while the low sits near $54 after recent cuts.

Recent moves include Deutsche Bank lowering its target to $54 from $67 while keeping a Hold rating. UBS cut to $58 from $62. Barclays upgraded to Overweight, citing a favorable risk/reward shift. RBC Capital maintained Buy. Jefferies and others have expressed confidence in wholesale recovery, bolstered by strong results at partners like Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Some analysts caution about “lacking consistency and visibility,” pointing to ongoing margin headwinds, tariff impacts estimated at $1.5 billion annually and cautious full-year guidance of low-single-digit revenue growth with declining earnings per share.

Nike’s dividend yield has climbed to about 3.1% as the stock price has fallen, attracting income-focused investors. The company maintains a strong balance sheet and free cash flow, though it has faced inventory and demand normalization issues.

Broader industry context adds pressure. Competitors like Lululemon and emerging fast-fashion brands have chipped away at market share, while consumers remain selective amid economic uncertainty. Nike’s iconic status in basketball, running and global sports marketing remains a core strength, but execution on innovation and pricing will be key.

Hill has acknowledged the path “won’t be a straight line.” The company has pulled back on legacy styles, invested in new athlete-centric products and doubled down on wholesale channels after earlier DTC overemphasis.

Positive notes include footwear revenue gains in key regions and early wholesale momentum. Excluding headwinds from classic franchises, some periods showed underlying growth of 6% or more.

Nike also announced a new $1 billion short-term credit facility in March, providing financial flexibility.

Longer-term, analysts project fiscal 2027 revenue approaching $48-50 billion if the turnaround gains traction, with EPS recovery.

Shares have lost value for four straight years, down roughly 65% from the 2021 peak, leaving some value investors wondering if the current levels near the 52-week low represent a bottom.

” Nike stock has been absolutely slammed, bolstering its dividend yield,” one recent analysis noted, questioning whether it is a buying opportunity.

With Q3 results days away, the market will watch for updates on gross margin trends, wholesale traction in international markets and any forward guidance that could signal acceleration in Hill’s “Sport Offense” plan.

For now, modest buying interest reflects hope that Nike’s deep brand moat, innovation pipeline and leadership changes can restore its position as the world’s leading athletic brand. Whether the comeback delivers sustained growth or faces further setbacks will likely shape investor sentiment through 2026 and beyond.