26 Feb (Reuters) – Puma canceled its annual dividend this Thursday and said it will post an annual loss in 2026, as Chief Executive Arthur Hoeld tries to turn around the German sportswear brand, which has lost ground to competitors.
Hoeld said he was ‘very excited’ about the entry of Anta, China’s largest sportswear brand, as a strategic investor, after the company agreed last month to buy a 29% stake in Puma.
Puma said it expects an operating loss of between 50 million and 150 million euros ($59 million to $177 million) in 2026.
Live off the profits of big companies
It reported a loss of 357.2 million euros in 2025, smaller than the 374.3 million expected by analysts, according to research compiled by the company.
“We will accelerate the Puma brand’s momentum to achieve commercial success in the future,” Hoeld said in a conference call with journalists, adding that sales in China could be hurt in the short term as Anta prefers a direct-to-consumer strategy rather than Puma’s model of selling through retailers.
Hoeld, a former sales director at Adidas, took over as chief executive of Puma in July.
Continues after advertising
