Pinault family is exploring options for Puma, including a sale
The company has a market value of about 3.2 billion euros
[FRANKFURT] The Pinault family has reached out to potential buyers of Puma after the German sports brand lost about half of its market value in the past year, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The billionaire family, which owns a 29 per cent stake in Frankfurt-listed Puma through Artemis, is working with advisers, possibly with a view of triggering a sale of the company, the sources said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private.
They have reached out to prospective bidders including Anta Sports Products and Li Ning to gauge interest in buying Puma, the sources said, adding they have also sounded out other sportswear firms in the US, as well as sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East.
Puma shares surged as much as 20 per cent in German trading following the report, the most since October 2001. It has a market value of about 3.2 billion euros (S$4.8 billion).
The family is likely to seek a sizeable premium in any deal, the sources said. Artemis is also the controlling shareholder of Kering.
Before today, Puma shares had slumped by 50 per cent in the past 12 months, hit by weak demand for its sports and exercise gear and concerns about the impact of US tariffs.
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Deliberations are ongoing and there’s no guarantee a transaction will happen, the sources said.
A spokesperson for Puma declined to comment, while representatives for Artemis, Anta and Li Ning did not respond to requests seeking comment.
Puma has been trying to revamp itself under new chief executive officer Arthur Hoeld after failing to generate much enthusiasm for its products with consumers in recent years. The company issued multiple profit warnings over recent quarters, including last month.
Fast-growing brands such as On Holding, New Balance and Hoka are winning customers and taking more shelf space at retailers, while the fortunes of long-time rivals Adidas and Nike have improved.
The German firm recently appointed ex-Adidas executive Andreas Hubert as chief operating officer. Hubert is a 20-year veteran of Adidas who served for the past four years as the company’s chief information officer.
Founded in 1948, Puma reported 281.6 million euros in net income last year and 8.8 billion euros in sales, and counts a global workforce of roughly 22,000. It sponsors English Premier League team Manchester City, the Portugal national team and Denmark’s men’s handball team, among others.
Anta owns brands including Fila, Descente, Kolon Sport and Jack Wolfskin. It was part of a consortium that acquired Finland’s Amer Sports Oyj, the maker of Wilson tennis rackets and Louisville Slugger baseball bats, for about 4.6 billion euros in 2019.
Li Ning, founded in 1990 by a legendary Chinese gymnast of the same name, designs and sells professional and leisure sport footwear, apparel and accessories. In addition to its namesake brand, it has sports products that are self-owned or licensed, including table-tennis brand Double Happiness, outdoor sports brand Aigle and Kason, the badminton brand. BLOOMBERG
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