Hermes Q3 Sales Up 11.3%, Continues to Outshine Rivals

A logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Nantes, France, October 17, 2024. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
A logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Nantes, France, October 17, 2024. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
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Hermes Q3 Sales Up 11.3%, Continues to Outshine Rivals

A logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Nantes, France, October 17, 2024. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
A logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Nantes, France, October 17, 2024. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Birkin bag maker Hermes reported on Thursday an 11.3% rise in third-quarter sales, continuing to outshine rivals hit hard by a downturn in China as its luxury handbags lure wealthy shoppers.

The French luxury company generated 3.7 billion euros ($3.99 billion) in revenue for the three months ending in September, an 11.3% rise at constant exchange rates, Reuters reported.

The figure was in line with an analyst consensus estimate of 11% growth cited by Jefferies.
"In a more uncertain economic and geopolitical context, I want to thank all employees for the robust third-quarter performance, and our customers for their loyalty," said Axel Dumas, Executive Chairman of Hermes.
"Thanks to the singularity of its model, Hermes is continuing its recruitments and long-term investments," he said in a statement.
A sector-wide slowdown has affected labels across the high-end spectrum.
Luxury bellwether LVMH missed expectations last week and flagged a drop in Chinese consumer confidence to COVID-era lows, with a deterioration in demand for fashion over the quarter.
Late on Wednesday, Kering warned its 2024 operating income would almost halve to its lowest in years as weak demand in China deepened the struggles of the French luxury goods group's main label Gucci.
Hermes' famously classic designs and tight management of production and stock have helped reinforce the label's aura of exclusivity and made the company one of the most consistent performers in the industry.
Handbags like the coveted $10,000 plus Birkin model are affordable only for the wealthiest shoppers -- who are typically the more immune to choppy economic conditions.
But showing limits of its resilience, executives earlier this year said that Hermes was seeing slightly less traffic from aspirational clients, impacting higher volume products like fashion accessories such as silk scarves.
Hermes shares have risen nearly 9% since the start of the year, outpacing rivals, with LVMH down nearly 15%, Moncler down 3.3% and Kering, which is working to turn around Gucci, down 40%.



Sources: Shein Weighs Sale of Less Than 10% of Company in London IPO

A mannequin with a Shein sign stands in an office of a lingerie maker at WeMet Industrial Park, in Guanyun county of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo
A mannequin with a Shein sign stands in an office of a lingerie maker at WeMet Industrial Park, in Guanyun county of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo
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Sources: Shein Weighs Sale of Less Than 10% of Company in London IPO

A mannequin with a Shein sign stands in an office of a lingerie maker at WeMet Industrial Park, in Guanyun county of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo
A mannequin with a Shein sign stands in an office of a lingerie maker at WeMet Industrial Park, in Guanyun county of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo

Fast fashion retailer Shein is considering asking UK regulators to waive listing rules that require at least 10% of its shares to be sold to the public in its planned London flotation, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
The company is exploring this option to facilitate its IPO, one of the people said, according to Reuters.
If granted, it would likely be the first time that a company in London has been allowed to list below the recent 10% rule.
Singapore-headquartered Shein, which sells $5 tops and $10 dresses mostly made in China, in June filed confidentially with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for a London listing.
However, Britain's financial regulator is taking longer than usual to approve its application, Reuters reported last week.
The people declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Shein declined to comment.
Shein was valued at $66 billion in a fundraising round last year. A 10% flotation at that valuation would make the IPO worth $6.6 billion. The biggest European IPO this year was perfume and fashion company Puig's $2.9 billion deal, according to Dealogic.
The current valuation of Shein and how much it is looking to raise via the London listing was not immediately known.
London changed its listing rules in 2021 to boost the attractiveness of the venue for companies. It cut the proportion of shares an issuer is required to float to 10% from 25%, reducing potential barriers for large IPOs, the FCA said at the time.
In July, Britain ushered in the biggest reform of company listing rules in more than three decades to help it compete more effectively with New York and the European Union for new issuers.
Shein began to explore a listing on the London Stock Exchange early this year, Reuters reported in May, citing sources. The China-founded company's original plan to list in New York was derailed after opposition from US lawmakers.
Shein is also waiting for China's securities regulator to approve its plans for a London IPO, Reuters previously reported. Its revenues are expected to hit $50 billion this year, up 55% from 2023, according to Coresight Research.