Finance: Nike beats on earnings, boosted by strong sales outside the US (NKE)

Nike reports earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter.

Nike on Thursday reported fiscal-fourth-quarter profits and revenue that topped analysts' expectations, helped by strong sales growth outside the US.

North America sales were flat year-over-year in the quarter ended May 31. They jumped 11% in China, and 21% in emerging markets. The sales improvement, notably in footwear and apparel, followed two years of sluggish growth.

Here are the other key results (and what Wall Street was expecting):

• Earnings per share: $0.60 ($0.50 expected)
• Revenue: $8.7 billion ($8.63 billion expected)
• Gross margin: 44.6% (44.3%)

Nike shares gained 3% in extended trading after the earnings, and were up 5% this year through Thursday's market close.

The company has said it would reference future orders, a key gauge of demand from retailers, as deemed necessary during earnings calls.

Nike reports earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter. Read Full Story