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COLM vs NKE
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Columbia Sportswear (COLM) vs. Nike (NKE) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Tickeron AI Verdict: COLM is the current AI-favored ticker, reflecting steadier trend consistency, improving fundamentals, and more constructive momentum relative to NKE.
- COLM has traded near its 52-week high following a quarterly earnings beat, while NKE has slid toward multi-year lows amid a prolonged turnaround.
- Both names face tariff and consumer-demand pressures, but their market positioning and risk profiles differ sharply.
- For more detail, explore COLM Major News and COLM Today's Price Move, as well as NKE Major News and NKE Today's Price Move.
- To see how AI-driven systems are positioning across the market, explore the Trending AI Robots.
Introduction
Investors comparing COLM and NKE are weighing two very different stories within the global apparel and footwear sector. Columbia Sportswear is a mid-cap, multi-brand outdoor and active-lifestyle business showing early signs of operational improvement, while Nike is a large-cap sportswear leader working through a multi-year reset of its product assortment and distribution. This stock comparison is especially relevant for traders and investors assessing relative performance, momentum, and market positioning in a sector that is highly sensitive to tariffs, consumer spending, and regional demand shifts. Understanding how these two companies differ can help clarify which profile better fits a given strategy in the current environment.
COLM Overview and Recent Performance
Columbia Sportswear Company designs, markets, and distributes outdoor and active-lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories under brands including Columbia, SOREL, Mountain Hardwear, and prAna. In recent weeks, COLM has drawn attention for reporting third-quarter results that exceeded analyst expectations, with net sales rising modestly year over year and earnings per share (EPS) coming in well ahead of consensus. Management also raised the lower end of its full-year sales and earnings outlook.
Performance has been supported by international growth and improved direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce trends, while the U.S. wholesale segment has remained softer. Operating margin expanded materially versus the prior year, aided in part by cost discipline. Sentiment has improved as the company's "ACCELERATE" growth strategy shows signs of traction, particularly in fleece and footwear categories. These factors have helped lift the stock toward its 52-week high in recent market activity, marking a notable contrast with many peers in the sector.
NKE Overview and Recent Performance
Nike is the world's largest sportswear company, operating the Nike, Jordan, and Converse brands across performance and lifestyle categories. In contrast to COLM, NKE has experienced sustained pressure, with its stock trading near multi-year lows after a sharp decline over the course of 2026. Recent results have shown revenue declines, particularly in Greater China, and management has guided for continued top-line contraction in the near term.
Nike is pursuing a turnaround under CEO Elliott Hill, including the "Win Now" initiative and a newer "Pace" cost-reduction program targeting billions in cumulative savings, alongside restructuring efforts and job reductions. While North America wholesale has shown improvement and performance categories such as running have grown, the broader business remains weighed down by promotional activity, intentional inventory cleanup, and weak demand in Sportswear and Jordan. Market sentiment reflects caution, with analysts divided on whether the reset has reached a bottom.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron operates hundreds of AI trading bots that collectively trade thousands of different tickers, each with its own trading style, strategy, timeframe, performance statistics, and universe of symbols. Because market conditions change constantly, not every bot is well-suited to every environment. The Trending AI Robots page curates only the bots that are currently best aligned with prevailing market dynamics, helping users surface the strategies showing the most relevance right now. For traders evaluating pairs like COLM and NKE, this section can serve as a practical starting point for identifying automated approaches that match a given risk tolerance and timeframe. Explore the Trending AI Robots to see which strategies are currently leading.
Head-to-Head Comparison
These two companies differ meaningfully across several dimensions. In terms of business model, COLM is a diversified multi-brand outdoor and lifestyle operator with a mid-cap footprint, while NKE is a large-cap leader with far greater global scale and brand reach. Their growth drivers also diverge: Columbia is leaning on international expansion and DTC improvements, whereas Nike is prioritizing a deliberate reset of classic footwear franchises and a rebuild of wholesale relationships.
On recent momentum, the contrast is stark. COLM has risen toward its 52-week high, while NKE has fallen toward multi-year lows. Risk factors include shared exposure to tariffs and consumer softness, but Nike carries additional structural challenges tied to Greater China, promotional markdowns, and ongoing restructuring. Finally, market sentiment currently appears more constructive on Columbia's stabilizing fundamentals than on Nike's still-unfolding turnaround, even as Nike's dividend yield has climbed alongside its share-price decline.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as trend consistency, relative stability, and catalyst positioning, Tickeron's AI would currently favor COLM over NKE. Columbia has demonstrated an earnings beat, margin expansion, and an upward-trending price pattern approaching its 52-week high, while Nike continues to contend with declining revenue, repeated guidance resets, and a downtrending share price near multi-year lows. The AI's preference is probabilistic rather than definitive: it reflects stronger near-term momentum and more stable fundamentals at Columbia, while acknowledging that Nike's scale and brand strength could support a recovery over a longer horizon. This verdict is not a recommendation but a data-driven read on relative market positioning.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is COLM is a StrongBuy and NKE is a Hold.
Momentum Indicator for COLM turns positive, indicating new upward trend
COLM saw its Momentum Indicator move above the 0 level on October 14, 2026. This is an indication that the stock could be shifting in to a new upward move. Traders may want to consider buying the stock or buying call options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 97 similar instances where the indicator turned positive. In 66 of the 97 cases, the stock moved higher in the following days. The odds of a move higher are at 68%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for COLM just turned positive on October 14, 2026. Looking at past instances where COLM's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 27 of 54 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 50%.
COLM moved above its 50-day moving average on October 14, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
The 10-day moving average for COLM crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 16, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 12 of 22 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 55%.
The 50-day moving average for COLM moved above the 200-day moving average on November 10, 2026. This could be a long-term bullish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an upward trend.
Following a +4.82% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where COLM advanced for three days, in 137 of 283 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 48%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 59 of 107 cases where COLM Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 55%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator has been in the overbought zone for 2 days. Expect a price pull-back in the near future.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 18 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where COLM declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 66%.
COLM broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 30, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 22 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 36 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. COLM’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 62 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 64 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (2.251) is normal, around the industry mean (2.911). P/E Ratio (18.389) is within average values for comparable stocks, (14.016). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.600) is also within normal values, averaging (0.686). Dividend Yield (0.017) settles around the average of (0.328) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (0.889) is also within normal values, averaging (0.827).
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 85 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. COLM’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 90, placing this stock worse than average.
Momentum Indicator for NKE turns positive, indicating new upward trend
NKE saw its Momentum Indicator move above the 0 level on October 15, 2026. This is an indication that the stock could be shifting in to a new upward move. Traders may want to consider buying the stock or buying call options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 89 similar instances where the indicator turned positive. In 50 of the 89 cases, the stock moved higher in the following days. The odds of a move higher are at 56%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for NKE just turned positive on October 08, 2026. Looking at past instances where NKE's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 20 of 42 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 48%.
NKE moved above its 50-day moving average on October 20, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
The 10-day moving average for NKE crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 26, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 7 of 15 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 47%.
Following a +1.82% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where NKE advanced for three days, in 140 of 263 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 53%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 81 of 149 cases where NKE Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 54%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for NKE moved out of overbought territory on November 05, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 15 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 9 of the 15 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 60%.
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In 40 of 54 cases where NKE's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 74%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where NKE declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 72%.
NKE broke above its upper Bollinger Band on November 04, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 44 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 51 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. NKE’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 63 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (3.851) is normal, around the industry mean (2.998). P/E Ratio (18.376) is within average values for comparable stocks, (12.296). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.427) is also within normal values, averaging (0.949). Dividend Yield (0.042) settles around the average of (0.057) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (1.142) is also within normal values, averaging (1.162).
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 85 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 87 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. NKE’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 88, placing this stock worse than average.
COLM | NKE | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 27 | 26 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 64 Fair valued | 63 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 100 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 62 | 44 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 36 | 51 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 22 | 87 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 85 | 85 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
NKE's Valuation (63) in the Apparel Or Footwear industry is in the same range as COLM (64). This means that NKE’s stock grew similarly to COLM’s over the last 12 months.
NKE's Profit vs Risk Rating (100) in the Apparel Or Footwear industry is in the same range as COLM (100). This means that NKE’s stock grew similarly to COLM’s over the last 12 months.
NKE's SMR Rating (44) in the Apparel Or Footwear industry is in the same range as COLM (62). This means that NKE’s stock grew similarly to COLM’s over the last 12 months.
COLM's Price Growth Rating (36) in the Apparel Or Footwear industry is in the same range as NKE (51). This means that COLM’s stock grew similarly to NKE’s over the last 12 months.
COLM's P/E Growth Rating (22) in the Apparel Or Footwear industry is somewhat better than the same rating for NKE (87). This means that COLM’s stock grew somewhat faster than NKE’s over the last 12 months.
| COLM | NKE | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 90% | 2 days ago 60% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 76% | 2 days ago 74% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 68% | 2 days ago 56% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 50% | 3 days ago 48% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 52% | 2 days ago 54% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 48% | 2 days ago 53% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 48% | 10 days ago 53% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 17 days ago 66% | 6 days ago 72% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 70% | 2 days ago 85% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 55% | 2 days ago 54% |
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is overvalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
COLM’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green while NKE’s FA Score has 0 green FA rating(s).
- COLM’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- NKE’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
COLM’s TA Score shows that 7 TA indicator(s) are bullish while NKE’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- COLM’s TA Score: 7 bullish, 4 bearish.
- NKE’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
COLM (@Apparel/Footwear) experienced а +3.15% price change this week, while NKE (@Wholesale Distributors) price change was +0.49% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Apparel/Footwear industry was +32.20%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +35.29%, and the average quarterly price growth was +15.75%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Wholesale Distributors industry was -5.38%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +8.44%, and the average quarterly price growth was +25.83%.
Reported Earning Dates
COLM is expected to report earnings on Feb 04, 2027.
NKE is expected to report earnings on Dec 17, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Apparel/Footwear (+32.20% weekly)Apparel/footwear might be slightly more ‘cyclical’ in the largely non-cyclical category of non-durables. While digital giants like Amazon have been rapidly expanding their presence, traditional clothing/footwear retailers have also been bulking up their online presence in recent years, to milk the burgeoning trend of online shopping among consumers across the globe. The apparel and footwear retail market was valued at around $ 360 billion in 2018, and this figure was expected to reach about $386 billion by 2020 (according to a Statista report). NIKE, Inc, V.F. Corporation and Under Armour, Inc. are some of the companies with the largest U.S. stock market caps in this segment.
@Wholesale Distributors (-5.38% weekly)Companies in this industry handle the wholesale shipments for the manufacturer of a product. They have warehouses and distribution centers, and they ship products directly to the retailer. Digitization, increasing competition, emerging customer demand, and product innovation are some of shifts that the industry has been facing in recent times – something that is potentially creating needs/opportunities for business model revisions or transformations. Data, analytics, and technology are becoming increasingly important for whole distributors in anticipating and analyzing consumer needs, and therefore planning their business strategies accordingly. Fastenal Company, W.W. Grainger, Inc., Genuine Parts Company and Pool Corporation are some of the largest names in the business.
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COLM and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, COLM has been loosely correlated with SHOO. These tickers have moved in lockstep 63% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if COLM jumps, then SHOO could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To COLM | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COLM | 100% | -0.26% | ||
| SHOO - COLM | 63% Loosely correlated | -0.72% | ||
| NKE - COLM | 56% Loosely correlated | -3.03% | ||
| GIII - COLM | 56% Loosely correlated | -0.59% | ||
| DBI - COLM | 52% Loosely correlated | N/A | ||
| CROX - COLM | 52% Loosely correlated | -0.36% | ||
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NKE and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, NKE has been loosely correlated with COLM. These tickers have moved in lockstep 56% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if NKE jumps, then COLM could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To NKE | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NKE | 100% | -3.03% | ||
| COLM - NKE | 56% Loosely correlated | -0.26% | ||
| UA - NKE | 53% Loosely correlated | -5.30% | ||
| LEVI - NKE | 52% Loosely correlated | +1.20% | ||
| UAA - NKE | 51% Loosely correlated | -5.49% | ||
| OXM - NKE | 50% Loosely correlated | -3.58% | ||
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