Luxury Goods

Richemont finds tolerable way to refocus

24 Aug 2022

The $60 bln Cartier owner has finally sold part of e-commerce unit YNAP to Farfetch. Richemont gets a lower price than it could have last year, but keeps online presence via payment in its U.S.-listed rival’s shares. And cutting its stake helps it focus on more promising sectors.

Richemont’s governance armour is hard to pierce

12 Aug 2022

Activist Bluebell wants ordinary investors to appoint their own director on the board of the $63 bln Cartier owner. Yet Chair Johann Rupert’s big voting power means he could stifle the attempt. Without a fresh voice, contrarian business ideas may not get much airtime.

Ray-Ban heirs inherit wasteful Mediobanca feud

9 Aug 2022

Eyewear tycoon Leonardo Del Vecchio, who died in June, bought nearly 20% of the Italian bank as part of a fight with CEO Alberto Nagel. Making a return on the $1.5 bln stake will test his successors. Backing Nagel in his hunt for a target may be the more prudent choice.

Capital Calls: Chevron rewards investors

29 Jul 2022

Concise views on global finance: The oil firm’s disciplined spending means it has been able to dramatically ramp up its buyback plan.

Time for Volkswagen to park its Porsche IPO

28 Jul 2022

The 82 bln euro German group’s plan to list the luxury marque has been tarnished by its decision to name the same CEO for both companies. The IPO could be a distraction at a time when carmakers face a recession. The best option right now is a delay, plus a governance rethink.

Capital Calls: LVMH succession, Swedish Match

22 Jul 2022

Concise views on global finance: Bernard Arnault insures the luxury group against future family feuds; the oral tobacco company’s results will embolden deal resisters.

Aston Martin cash call leaves a sputtering engine

15 Jul 2022

The luxury-car maker may raise 653 mln pounds from its shareholders and Saudi’s state fund. That would avert an imminent crash, and the terms are less painful than investors feared. But the group will still be laden with heavy borrowings amid a worrying economic backdrop.

E-commerce may be beauty behemoths’ next makeover

29 Jun 2022

L’Oréal and Estée Lauder like to plug small brands into their sprawling networks. That could plump up the sales and profitability of a trendy online makeup group like $1.5 bln e.l.f. Applying its skill in selling direct to consumers would add gloss to their own brands as well.

Ray-Ban tycoon leaves behind unfinished business

27 Jun 2022

EssilorLuxottica Chairman Leonardo Del Vecchio has died at 87 without publicly anointing an heir. That raises questions about the eyewear giant’s future and investments in Mediobanca and Generali. Though trusted lieutenants may reassure investors, they lack his track record.

China slowdown prompts healthy luxury rethink

21 Jun 2022

Brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton have made a killing in China's $63 bln market. Yet Beijing's Covid-19 policies and rising nationalism among young shoppers show the perils of being overdependent on one consumer group. A pivot into the United States and the Gulf offers a hedge.

Capital Calls: Richemont’s China fears, THG offer

20 May 2022

Concise views on global finance: Shares in the Cartier owner shed 13% after caution about a rebound in the People’s Republic added to subpar full-year results and slow progress on the YOOX Net-a-Porter sale; the UK online retailer rejected one bid, yet higher ones look unlikely.

Global brands set too much store in China recovery

13 May 2022

Western companies like Estée Lauder and Remy Cointreau remain hopeful about the country even though lockdowns have hit revenue. Yet continued mass testing due to Beijing’s zero-Covid push will weigh on demand. Excessive optimism risks delaying a much-needed diversification drive.

Capital Calls: AB InBev

5 May 2022

Concise views on global finance: Anheuser-Busch InBev’s revenue grew 11% in the first quarter compared to last year, but rising prices are a particular headache for the debt-laden brewer.

Capital Calls: Gap falls through the inflation gap

22 Apr 2022

Concise views on global finance: Shares in the clothing retailer fell over 19% after the company warned of a sharper drop in sales and announced the departure of Nancy Green, the boss of its Old Navy unit.

Sanctions sound alert for art – and its regulators

20 Apr 2022

Private sales and the use of shell companies make for anonymity. Russians are not top of the art-world heap, but recently imposed financial constraints and the rise of digital assets could change that. U.S. oversight has not kept up. Dealers and watchdogs alike need to wise up.

Porsche IPO is slow road to a higher VW valuation

20 Apr 2022

The German carmaker’s luxury brand could easily be worth 90 bln euros. Yet a plan to only sell 25% may limit the benefit for shareholders by leaving the company with a small free float and complex governance. Their consolation is that this listing may not be the final model.

Capital Calls: LVMH and Arnault

16 Mar 2022

Concise views on global finance: The 315 bln euro luxury group’s plan to raise the age limit for its CEO role may mean Bernard Arnault is struggling to decide on a successor, though for now shareholders won’t care.

Capital Calls: DraftKings, Shake Shack, Fanatics

18 Feb 2022

Concise views on global finance: The online gambling firm predicts fast growth but heavy losses; the U.S. burger chain had disappointing earnings yet its valuation is sky-high; the sports merchandiser teams up with Jay-Z to buy a streetwear firm for a song.

Kering gets dressed up for elusive mega-deal

17 Feb 2022

François-Henri Pinault’s luxury powerhouse is boosting sales and profit, thanks to star brand Gucci. That, plus a robust balance sheet, means the $90 bln group is well placed to splash out on a deal. The snag is that there are few obvious targets, raising the risk of overpaying.

Capital Calls: Continental, Harley-Davidson

8 Feb 2022

Concise views on global finance: German car-parts maker Continental may spin off its self-driving unit, while the iconic maker of motorbikes has turned supply shortages to its own advantage.