Puma Announces Cost-Cutting after 2024 Net Profit Misses Expectations

A handbag with the logo of German sports goods firm Puma is pictured in a shop after the company's annual news conference in Herzogenaurach, Germany February 20, 2014. (Reuters)
A handbag with the logo of German sports goods firm Puma is pictured in a shop after the company's annual news conference in Herzogenaurach, Germany February 20, 2014. (Reuters)
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Puma Announces Cost-Cutting after 2024 Net Profit Misses Expectations

A handbag with the logo of German sports goods firm Puma is pictured in a shop after the company's annual news conference in Herzogenaurach, Germany February 20, 2014. (Reuters)
A handbag with the logo of German sports goods firm Puma is pictured in a shop after the company's annual news conference in Herzogenaurach, Germany February 20, 2014. (Reuters)

Sportswear brand Puma announced a cost-cutting program on Wednesday after reporting 2024 net profit below the prior year's level, missing its expectations.

Net profit was 282 million euros ($294 million) for the year, compared to 305 million euros in 2023, Puma said in preliminary results released after markets closed.

"While we achieved solid sales growth in 2024 and made meaningful progress on our strategic initiatives, we are not satisfied with our profitability," said Arne Freundt, CEO of PUMA, without saying what its expectations were.

The cost-cutting program aims to get Puma back to earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margin of 8.5% by 2027. The EBIT margin for 2024 was 7.1%.

For the fourth quarter, a key shopping period, Puma reported sales grew by 9.8% in currency-adjusted terms, to 2.289 billion euros ($2.38 billion).

Over 2024 as a whole, sales were up by 4.4% in currency-adjusted terms, to 8.817 billion euros.



Adidas Reports Fourth-Quarter Sales and Profitability Gains

An Adidas shoe is seen in a store at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, US, February 15, 2022. (Reuters)
An Adidas shoe is seen in a store at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, US, February 15, 2022. (Reuters)
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Adidas Reports Fourth-Quarter Sales and Profitability Gains

An Adidas shoe is seen in a store at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, US, February 15, 2022. (Reuters)
An Adidas shoe is seen in a store at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, US, February 15, 2022. (Reuters)

Adidas reported what it said were better than expected preliminary fourth-quarter results on Tuesday, with strong sales and profitability for the important holiday shopping period.

The German sports equipment and apparel company said revenue was up 19% year on year in currency neutral terms while its gross margin increased by 5.2 percentage points to 49.8%.

Adidas reported sales of 5.956 billion euros ($6.2 billion) for the quarter, up from 4.812 billion a year ago.

For the full year, Adidas said revenue was up 12% in currency-neutral terms, hitting 23.683 billion euros ($24.7 billion). Profitability improved with the gross margin rising by 3.3 percentage points to 50.8%.