Chinese Company Anta to Acquire Twenty-Nine Stake in Puma brand

(MENAFN) Anta Sports Products, China’s largest sportswear retailer, is set to acquire a 29% stake in German sports brand Puma, making it the company’s largest shareholder, as stated by reports. The deal comes at a time when Puma’s shares were near their lowest levels in a decade.

The stake will be purchased from the Pinault family, one of France’s wealthiest families, who control the luxury conglomerate Kering, owner of brands such as Gucci, Bottega Veneta, and Yves Saint Laurent. The Pinaults initially acquired a controlling interest in Puma in 2007 but have gradually reduced their holdings over time.

Anta agreed to pay €1.51 billion ($1.8 billion) in cash for 43.01 million shares at €35 each, representing a 62% premium over Puma’s closing price of €21.63 on Monday. The announcement caused Puma’s stock to jump 17% before settling at 9% higher.

The company has faced growing competition from other sports brands and recently implemented a turnaround plan that included cutting 1,400 jobs, limiting discounting, and reducing its product range.

Anta plans to expand Puma’s presence in China, where the brand currently accounts for only 7% of its global revenue. “Puma has more potential in the Chinese market, where they are underrepresented… We have a lot of insight on how to make Puma more successful in China,” Wei Lin, Anta’s global vice president for sustainability and investor relations, said. The firm also intends to secure board representation at Puma once the acquisition is finalized.

This deal follows Anta’s previous acquisitions of Western brands, including Finland-based Amer Sports, which owns Arc’teryx, Salomon, and Wilson, as well as the German label Jack Wolfskin. Ding Shizhong, Anta’s chairman, described the purchase as a “major step forward in our ‘single-focus, multi-brand, globalisation’ strategy.”

MENAFN28012026000045017281ID1110660542