L'Oreal Shares Down After Q3 Sales Disappoint 

Model Cindy Bruna presents a creation during a public show named "Walk Your Worth" organized by French cosmetics group L'Oreal near the Eiffel Tower as part of Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, October 1, 2023. (Reuters)
Model Cindy Bruna presents a creation during a public show named "Walk Your Worth" organized by French cosmetics group L'Oreal near the Eiffel Tower as part of Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, October 1, 2023. (Reuters)
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L'Oreal Shares Down After Q3 Sales Disappoint 

Model Cindy Bruna presents a creation during a public show named "Walk Your Worth" organized by French cosmetics group L'Oreal near the Eiffel Tower as part of Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, October 1, 2023. (Reuters)
Model Cindy Bruna presents a creation during a public show named "Walk Your Worth" organized by French cosmetics group L'Oreal near the Eiffel Tower as part of Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, October 1, 2023. (Reuters)

L’Oreal shares fell on Friday, sinking to their lowest level since March, after a larger-than-expected hit to its travel retail business in Asia and disappointing sales of its luxury division as inflation and a choppy economic environment curb high-end spending.

Shares were down 2.6% in early trading, the lowest performer on the Paris CAC-40 index.

A slowdown in the luxury division was most likely expected after LVMH’s perfume and cosmetics division slightly missed expectations last week, but 3.2% growth versus consensus expectations of 12.2% likely comes as a negative surprise to the market, Jefferies analysts said.

Analysts also pointed to a sharper-than-expected hit to business in Asia from tighter controls by the Chinese government of daigou resellers, who buy products at lower prices abroad and resell them at a discount in China.

Although weakness in North Asia because of travel retail issues and the luxury division was expected by investors, the scale of the miss "took us by surprise," analysts at Barclays said.



Italian Fashion House Valentino Suffers 22% Profit Drop in 2024

A picture shows bags in the shop window of Italian fashion house Valentino at Piazza di Spagna in central Rome, on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)
A picture shows bags in the shop window of Italian fashion house Valentino at Piazza di Spagna in central Rome, on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)
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Italian Fashion House Valentino Suffers 22% Profit Drop in 2024

A picture shows bags in the shop window of Italian fashion house Valentino at Piazza di Spagna in central Rome, on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)
A picture shows bags in the shop window of Italian fashion house Valentino at Piazza di Spagna in central Rome, on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

Italian fashion house Valentino's operating profit dropped 22% last year, the company said on Friday, as the luxury sector faced a slowdown in global demand for high-end goods, particularly in Asia.
European luxury groups have been counting on wealthy Americans to kick-start growth as the outlook for China remained bleak. But after President Donald Trump's tariff policy, the sector is bracing for what could be its longest slump in years, Reuters said.
Valentino said one-off costs also drove its operating profit down to 246 million euros ($280 million) in 2024, as it continued investing in directly-managed stores.
Revenue fell 2% at constant exchange rates to 1.31 million euros, despite good sales in Japan, the Middle East and the Americas, the Rome-based company said.
It said online sales rose 5% compared to the previous year, in line with the group's aim to strengthen its e-commerce business.
"Our work has taken a decisive step with the arrival of Alessandro Michele as our new Creative Director," Chief Executive Jacopo Venturini said in a statement.
Valentino hired the former Gucci designer in March last year following the exit of creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, who had been in the position for 25 years.
In 2023, Gucci owner Kering bought a 30% stake in Valentino with an option to buy the whole of the company's share capital by 2028.