Artemis, the Pinault family’s holding company that controls Gucci-owner Kering, will not sell its 29% stake in sports brand Puma at the current market value and is not engaged in talks over a deal, a source close to the firm told Reuters on Thursday.
Pinault’s Artemis rules out Puma sale for now, source says – Reuters
Puma shares surged 15% on August 25, but have since lost most of those gains.
The source, who declined to be named because the information was private, said Artemis had been approached by many potential suitors for its stake — including private equity firms and sector peers — but emphasized that the firm was not negotiating anything at this time.
“Would we sell at this level? Never in our lives… We consider that Puma is worth much more than that,” the person said, while echoing public comments from Artemis chairman François-Henri Pinault earlier this week that Puma was not “strategic.”
Puma shares fell as much as 4.7% in Frankfurt trading following the publication of the comments. By 3:12 p.m. GMT, the shares were down 3.6%, having traded as high as 1.5% earlier in the day.
Puma’s stock has lost over 60% of its value in the past two years, as the brand has struggled to maintain its market share for footwear and apparel and generate interest in newer sneaker models, such as the Speedcat.
The source said that while Puma would not remain in Artemis’ portfolio “forever,” now was not the right time to sell.
Puma declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
Pinault’s investment vehicle — which, in addition to Gucci-owner Kering, also controls auction house Christie’s and Hollywood talent agency CAA — has come under investor scrutiny for the high levels of debt accumulated across its portfolio, as it seeks to diversify amid declining luxury sales.
The source close to Artemis declined to name specific investors but noted strong interest from both sector peers and financial investors “seeking to position themselves.”
The Pinault family acquired its stake in Puma in 2018 from Kering, when the luxury group spun off the holding and refocused on its high-end fashion portfolio, centered on brands like Gucci and Saint Laurent.
The source added that Artemis has full trust in the newly appointed Puma CEO, Arne Hoeld, to turn the company around and emphasized that Artemis is not facing any debt maturities this year or next that would force it to sell assets.
The Italian competition authority said on Tuesday it had opened two investigations into Swiss watchmaker Swatch and Japan’s Citizen Watch.
Reuters
The probes involve an alleged infringement of European rules on the fixing of retail prices displayed online by the groups’ authorised distributors.
The two companies may be limiting price competition among their retailers through a vertical agreement, by imposing retail prices on their distributors and adopting “retaliatory commercial measures” against those that fail to comply, the antitrust authority said in a statement.
The agency’s officials carried out inspections at the Italian offices of Swatch and Citizen on December 3.
Swatch and Citizen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
British retail tycoon Mike Ashley has pledged around 670 million pounds ($890.6 million) worth of shares in his sportswear and fashion retailer Frasers Group Plc as collateral for a loan from HSBC, according to filing on Tuesday.
Reuters
Ashley’s holding company, MASH Beta Limited, which holds the majority of Frasers’ issued share capital, pledged about 103.6 million ordinary shares.
Frasers’ shares were down about 1.3% at 646.5 pence as of Tuesday’s last close.
This move comes after the company’s heavy investments in newer geographies and taking or increasing shareholding in recent months across companies, from fashion groups to electrical retailers. Mike Ashley holds roughly a 73% stake in Frasers, according to data compiled by LSEG.
The company whose portfolio includes Sports Direct, House of Fraser and Flannels, reaffirmed its full-year profit forecast earlier this month.
G-III Apparel on Tuesday raised its full-year earnings forecast on the back of better-than-expected earnings in the third quarter, which also saw the U.S. firm’s sales drop 9% to $988.6 million.
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The New York-based firm logged earnings of $80.6 million, or $1.84 per diluted share during the three months ending October 31, compared to $114.8 million, or $2.55 per diluted share, in the prior year’s third quarter.
While profits were lower than the same period last year, the owner of Karl Lagerfeld, Sonia Rykiel, and DKNY brands, “delivered a strong third quarter with gross margins and earnings far exceeding our expectations,” according to said Morris Goldfarb, G-III’s chairman and chief executive officer.
“This was driven by the strength of our go-forward portfolio, particularly our owned brands, as well as a healthy mix of full-price sales and our mitigation efforts against tariffs. I am pleased with how our brands are resonating with consumers and encouraged by the solid demand we have seen throughout the holiday season to date,” continued Goldfarb, who said his company is raising its fiscal 2026 earnings guidance to “reflect our third quarter outperformance tempered by the uncertainties around the consumer environment and tariff-related margin pressures.”
In June, G-III Apparel filed a $250-million lawsuit against PVH Corp., escalating tensions between the two fashion giants with allegations of breached licensing agreements and interference in business relationships. The complaint, filed in New York state court, targets PVH and its Calvin Klein Inc. and Tommy Hilfiger licensing divisions.