HK Stock Market Move | ANTA SPORTS (02020) rose nearly 3% in the afternoon; institutions expect the acquisition of a Puma stake could become an important catalyst in the fourth quarter.

ANTA SPORTS (02020) rose nearly 3% in the afternoon, up 2.15% as of press time to HK$73.55, with a turnover of HK$472 million. On the news front, BOCI noted in a recent research report that it maintains a relatively cautious view on China's sporting goods market, but remains bullish on ANTA SPORTS, believing the company possesses relatively comprehensive competitive advantages and is its top pick in the sector. If the company's acquisition of a Puma stake is successfully completed, it could also become an important catalyst in the fourth quarter of this year. CLSA believes that holding a 29% stake in PUMA and Jack Wolfskin can expand ANTA's addressable market in professional sports and mass outdoor; productivity improvements, store format upgrades, and online growth are expected to offset store optimization; demand in the third quarter of this year slowed compared with the first half, and after July was affected by extreme weather, sales in August and September have shown improvement, with Golden Week and Double 11 set to be key to the company achieving its FY2026 performance guidance.