Matt Varga It’s hard to get more newsworthy than changing hands by the most prominent players on the market. In an official statement, ANTA has reported an agreed-upon deal to purchase shares equivalent to 29% of PUMA for a sum of €1.5 billion.
2025 was a particular flare-up in what’s, charitably, been a few quarters of financial hardship for the Big Cat. Toward the end of 2025, those disappointing earnings results led to speculation that the entire entity could be for sale, something that led to further speculation on whether historical competitors like adidas could pursue a full-blown buyout. Notably, news of this minority stake purchase comes with assurances from ANTA’s side that the Chinese giant isn’t considering that wholesale takeover at this juncture.
Reportedly, a key driver in ANTA’s share acquisition is the brand’s belief that they’ll be able to leverage PUMA’s sport roster in the Chinese market, obviously a realm that ANTA has demonstrated an ability to navigate. In a statement, company chair Ding Shizhong said, “We believe Puma’s share price over the past few months does not fully reflect the long-term potential of the brand. We have confidence in its management team and strategic transformation.”
Again, we must emphasize that despite becoming the largest individual stakeholder in the Big Cat, this still leaves ANTA as a minority one. Despite that, this will likely result in representatives from the Chinese company influencing overall strategy. To quote Shizhong again: “ANTA Sports intends to seek adequate representation on PUMA’s Supervisory Board. These representatives will work closely with the other Supervisory Board members from both the shareholders’ and employee representatives’ side, while preserving PUMA’s strong brand identity and heritage.”
This move continues ANTA’s increasing presence on the global stage, something that stateside sneaker aficionados became keenly aware of with their courtship of Kyrie Irving, but also represented by more long-standing partnerships like that with Klay Thompson. Stretching back further, this largest minority stake in PUMA tacks onto a rather storied history in acquisition-like transactions, as the Chinese conglomerate outright purchased rights to the FILA mark in Chinese markets.
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