** Shares of footwear giant Nike NKE.N down about 1% at $62.55 premarket
** Needham downgrades stock to "hold" from "buy"; says NKE turnaround is progressing slower than expected
** Adds increased shipping to North American wholesalers could cause "near-term challenges" given "brand heat" is insufficient to match inventory push
** "Challenges in China and the Converse brand appear very intense and the timeline to get those businesses back on track is uncertain" - Needham
** 24 of 40 brokerages rate stock "buy" or higher, 14 "hold" and 2 "sell" or lower; median PT is $74 - data compiled by LSEG
** Stock fell ~16% in 2025
(Reporting by Koyena Das in Bengaluru)
((Koyena.das@thomsonreuters.com;))
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