According to a media report, the French luxury group Moët-Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE is said to have held talks with Ralph Lauren.
Exploratory talks between LVMH and Ralph Lauren over a possible takeover have been going on for the past several years, US news site Axios reported on Tuesday, citing multiple sources familiar with the situation.
LVMH declined to comment on the report. Ralph Lauren has not yet responded to the request.
The media report did not go into detail about when the talks are said to have taken place and to what extent they are still current. But a possible reason for the sale is that company founder and creative director Ralph Lauren is considering a successor plan. A takeover by LVMH could secure the long-term future of the US brand, and the French luxury giant would thus continue to make inroads into the US market following its takeover of jeweler Tiffany.
To date, LVMH owns 14 fashion brands such as Loewe, Fendi and Dior. The group generated sales of 64.2 billion euros in the past financial year, almost half of which came from clothing and leather goods.
Ralph Lauren Inc reported sales of $4.4 billion in 2021 and has an enterprise value of $9.2 billion based on the current share price. So those interested in taking over would have to shell out at least that much.