NIKE SHARES GET BOOST BEFORE FIRST-QUARTER EARNINGS REPORT

          Investors "ran with shares" of Nike yesterday, "pushing
     the stock up nearly 9 percent amid bullish brokerage
     comments in anticipation of the company's earnings report,"
     according to Jennifer Waters of CBS MarketWatch.  Analysts
     for Lehman Bros. and Goldman Sachs expect that Nike will top
     the $0.74 First Call consensus estimate by "at least" $0.01 
     Nike's first-quarter earnings are expected to be released at
     the close of business Thursday and analysts believe Nike
     will state afterward that worldwide future orders are up
     "about" 5% (CBS MarketWatch, 9/12).  CBNC's Michelle Caruso-
     Cabrera reported that Nike's "stock has been really weak"
     and "a slew of brokerage firms came out and said, 'Buy on
     the weakness.  We think that the quarter is going to look
     good.'  As a result, you saw a nice rebound there"
     ("Business Center," CNBC, 9/12).  Shares of Nike were up
     $3.14, or 8.6% yesterday, to close at $39.77 (THE DAILY).