ANTA Sports Becomes PUMA’s Largest Shareholder

Chinese sportswear group ANTA Sports has completed its acquisition of a 29.06% stake in German sportswear company PUMA SE, becoming the brand’s largest shareholder in a move that strengthens its ambitions to compete in the global sporting goods market.

The transaction, valued at €1.5055 billion (about US$1.75 billion or RM7.5 billion), involved the purchase of the stake from Artémis SAS, the investment company of the Pinault family. ANTA announced the completion on 7 October after securing the necessary regulatory approvals and meeting the closing conditions.

The acquisition marks a significant step in ANTA’s strategy of building an international sportswear group through a portfolio of brands serving different consumer markets. The company said it would bring its experience in brand management, retail operations and global resource integration to support PUMA’s development.

ANTA chairman Ding Shizhong said the group had confidence in PUMA’s management and supported its ongoing strategic transformation. He said ANTA intended to contribute its expertise while respecting PUMA’s independence and distinctive brand identity.

PUMA chief executive Arthur Hoeld welcomed ANTA as its largest shareholder, describing the investment as a vote of confidence in the German company’s strategy, management and future. PUMA said the two groups would explore opportunities to combine their strengths while working towards its ambition of becoming one of the world’s top three sports brands.

Despite the change in its shareholder structure, PUMA will continue to operate as an independently managed company. ANTA said it would seek appropriate representation on PUMA’s supervisory board but currently had no plans to launch a takeover offer.

The deal comes as PUMA works to restore growth and strengthen its competitiveness against global rivals, including Nike and Adidas. The German brand has faced financial and operational pressure, making the support of a major shareholder with multi-brand management experience potentially significant to its recovery efforts.

ANTA already operates a broad portfolio that includes its namesake brand, FILA, DESCENTE, KOLON SPORT, JACK WOLFSKIN and MAIA ACTIVE. It is also the largest shareholder in Amer Sports, whose portfolio includes outdoor and sporting brands such as Arc’teryx, Salomon, Wilson, Peak Performance and Atomic.

The addition of PUMA gives ANTA a larger presence in international sportswear, footwear and lifestyle markets. It also creates opportunities to draw on its experience in China, where consumer demand and retail distribution could be important to PUMA’s future growth.

For PUMA, the challenge will be to translate the new shareholder relationship into stronger commercial performance without diluting the brand’s sporting heritage or independence. For ANTA, the investment extends its global reach and reinforces its multi-brand model as competition intensifies across performance sportswear and lifestyle apparel.

The acquisition highlights the growing role of Asian sportswear groups in the international industry, where brand portfolios, retail capabilities and access to major consumer markets are increasingly important to long-term growth.