SGB Executive Sports & Fitness
EXEC: Lululemon Sees Analyst Downgrades, Stock Price Cuts Following Bleak Forecast
Lululemon Athletica Inc. suffered two downgrades and saw numerous other analysts slash their price targets on its stock after the the retailer slashed its annual profit forecast and projected second-quarter earnings well below Wall Street estimates.
EXEC: Lululemon Co-CEOs Talk Through Hits and Misses Going into Second Quarter
Interim Co-CEO and CFO Meghan Frank said the company saw encouraging signs in Q1 that reinforce that the company is moving in the right direction, but the company faced a few headwinds as the calendar transitioned to the second quarter, revealing a moderating sales trend.
EXEC: Authentic Solidifies Position as No. 2 Global Licensor as Company Heads Toward IPO
The company lags only Disney in its licensing prowess. S&P Global Ratings raised the company’s debt ratings, noting that the brand management and licensing firm has expanded revenues and EBITDA at a compound annual growth rate of about 20 percent over the last five years while maintaining its debt leverage levels despite several major acquisitions.
EXEC: Asics Ends Ties with Long-Time Swiss Distributor
Asics and Montana Sport AG jointly announced the end of their Swiss distribution agreement, aligning with the Japanese brand’s wider European distribution playbook. Montana Sport has served as Asics sole distributor to Switzerland since 1991.
EXEC: Lenzing AG Promotes Kasperkovitz to CEO
Australia’s Lenzing AG promoted Georg Kasperkovitz to CEO. Kasperkovitz will assume this role in addition to his current function as chief operations officer (COO). He succeeds Rohit Aggarwalm who resigned from the fiber maker for personal reasons in January.
EXEC: Li Ning Signs Steph Curry to 10-Year Global Deal to Promote Curry Brand
The 10-year deal with Li-Ning promises to help expand the athlete’s Curry Brand globally. The agreement will include basketball products, athleisure lifestyle wear, the ability for Curry to sign male and female athletes under his brand, and a full golf line. Li-Ning also plans to build Curry Brand stores in the U.S. and in China.
EXEC: SFIA Sees Ripe Conditions for World Cup-Driven Soccer Participation Surge
Ahead of the first World Cup to be hosted by the United States since 1994, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) issued a special “Soccer Spotlight” report detailing that the U.S. has already seen a surge in soccer participation pre-tournament and will likely see a further bump in the current year.
EXEC: Sports Direct Opens First Nordic Flagship in Helsinki
UK-based Sports Direct has opened a 30,000-square-foot store at Citycenter Mall in Helsinki, Finland, marking its store opening in the Nordic region following its parent Frasers Group’s acquisition of Norwegian retailer XXL in the summer of 2025.
EXEC: Stifel’s Lead Analyst Offers Bullish Take on Sneaker Growth
Charging that “reports of the sneaker’s death have been greatly exaggerated,” Peter McGoldrick, Stifel’s lead analyst covering the athletics space, issued a report predicting the global athletic footwear category has the capacity to expand at an average annual rate of 4 percent over at least the next five years due in large part to the “durability” of the sneaker market.
EXEC: Gap Inc. CFO Expects Athleta’s Q1 Weakness to Continue into Second Quarter
Gap Inc. said same-store sales at its Athleta banner declined 11 percent in the first quarter, below expectations. On an analyst call, Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson reiterated that 2026 will be a “rebuild year” for Athleta, but progress in clearing legacy inventory has fallen short of plan.
EXEC: Topsports’ Fiscal Year Sales Decline on Decreasing China Foot Traffic, Sluggish Spending
The Chinese sportswear retailer said a 4.7 percent sales decline was “mainly due to the sluggish macro consumption environment and declining offline foot traffic, partly offset by the growth of the online retail business during the year.”
EXEC: Dick’s SG Scores Stock Upgrade, Price Target Hikes Post-Earnings
The parent of Dick’s and Foot Locker secured a ratings upgrade from J.P. Morgan and saw several price-target hikes by other Wall Street firms after the retailer reported first-quarter results ahead of targets. The report left many analysts more convinced that Dick’s legacy business is retaining its momentum and that Foot Locker is on the path to recovery.
EXEC: Dick’s SG Sees Improved Top-Line Trends at Legacy DSG and FL; Guidance Disappoints
DKS shares on Wednesday fell $13.92, or nearly 6.0 percent, to close at $219.21 for the day. Shares are still comfortably up from $197.97 at the start of 2026. DKS shares were rebounding in low-singles in pre-market trading on Thursday morning, May 28.
EXEC: Manchester United’s Commercial Revenues Climb 10 Percent in Fiscal Q3
Retail, Merchandising, Apparel and Product Licensing revenue was £43.9 million in fiscal Q3, an increase of 36.3 percent over the prior-year quarter, said to be due to stronger trading related to improved on-pitch performance, combined with a one-off credit relating to amended terms of its in-house e-commerce business launched in the prior year.
EXEC: Cotswold Outdoor Group Relocating Headquarters in UK
The UK-based parent of Cotswold Outdoor, Runners Need and Snow + Rock is reportedly set to relocate its head office from Kemble to nearby Swindon. The new 17,000 square-foot headquarters features collaborative working areas, dedicated meeting spaces and training facilities.
