Mike Ashley’s retail empire has added another high-profile investment to its portfolio after Frasers Group quietly built a near 6 per cent stake in the German sportswear brand Puma.
Regulatory filings on the German stock exchange revealed that the owner of Sports Direct, Flannels and House of Fraser now controls a 5.77 per cent holding in Puma. The disclosure triggered an immediate reaction in the market, sending Puma’s shares up almost 10 per cent as investors interpreted the move as a potential vote of confidence in the struggling brand.
The investment makes Frasers Group the second-largest shareholder in Puma, just weeks after the Chinese sportswear giant Anta Sports agreed to acquire a 29.1 per cent stake in the business for €1.5 billion from the French billionaire Pinault family.
Frasers’ position has reportedly been assembled through a series of put option agreements linked to Puma shares, a financial strategy that allows the group to build exposure to the company without immediately purchasing large blocks of stock in the open market.
The move highlights Frasers’ increasingly active role as a strategic investor in global fashion and retail brands. Founded by Mike Ashley in 1982, the group has built a reputation for taking minority stakes in companies and using its influence to push for operational or strategic changes.
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