Fashion Industry, resources
Highest Valued Company on Europe Stock Market: Luxury Conglomerate LVMH Market Cap Soars to €265 Billion
Highest Valued Company on Europe Stock Market: Luxury Conglomerate LVMH Market Cap Soars to €265 Billion
Luxury conglomerate LVMH is among the key beneficiaries of investor optimism. According to the research data analyzed and published by Finaria, luxury conglomerate LVMH’s market capitalization stood at €264.55 billion as of February 26, 2021. That made it the highest valued company on the European stock market, overtaking Nestle which had CHF 267.57 billion (€242 billion).
Based on a HH Journal report, LVHM’s share price increased by 65.4% between April 2020 and February 2021. During the same period, European luxury rival Richemont posted a share price gain of 74%. Hermes stock shot up by 54.7% while Kering’s soared by 22.1%.
Fashion and Leather Goods Division Accounted for 86.5% of LVMH 2020 Profit
LVMH, the world’s largest luxury group, owns 75 primary brands across five divisions. Fashion and leather goods, the largest of these, accounted for a 46% share of Q1 to Q3 2020 revenue. During the period, the segment’s sales fell by 11% but started showing signs of recovery in Q3 2020, with a 12% uptick.
The performance of the fashion and leather goods division improved further in Q4 2020 when its revenue soared by 18% to €7.3 billion. For the full year 2020, the segment’s organic revenue only declined by 3%, compared to its 24% decline during H1 2020. It thus accounted for 86.5% of LVMH’s profits for the year 2020.
Overall, LVMH group sales in Q4 2020 totaled €14.3 billion, down by only 3% YoY. Asia contributed to its strong performance with a 21% increase in regional sales. In contrast, sales in Europe fell by 24%.
For the full-year 2020, LVMH’s revenue sank by 16% to €44.65 billion while its net profit fell by 34% to €4.7 billion. On the bright side, the group completed the acquisition of US jeweler Tiffany at $15.8 billion. In 2021, analysts project an increase of 18% in revenue and a 67% uptick in earnings for LVMH.
LVMH is not the only luxury big name enjoying an uptrend in share prices caused by investor optimism. Investors are seemingly drawn to the European luxury sector as a whole, thanks to the promise of robust performance in 2021. The sector is, in fact, currently considered as the European equivalent to US tech stocks.
Between April 2020 and February 10, 2021, Richemont’s share price soared by 74%. Similarly, Swatch Group stock posted 45% gains while Hermes and Kering SA grew by 54.7% and 22.1%, respectively. In comparison, the Swiss Market Index (SMI) gained a relatively smaller 17.8% during the same period.
