Viva Goods lifts Li Ning stake to 15.77% in HK$1.27B buying spree
What's the deal? Viva GoodsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → Company Limited has raised its stake in Chinese sportswear group Li NingDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to about 15.77%, after buying 38,757,500 more shares on the open market on August 27, 2026 for roughly HK$525 million. The purchase, made through wholly-owned subsidiary Viva China Development LimitedDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, pushes total spending over a 12-month period past HK$1.27 billion.
Why now? Viva GoodsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → said the deal is "an appropriate investment opportunity" expected to enhance returns for the group. Its directors, having reviewed Li Ning's recent share price, called the purchases "fair and reasonable."
What's the endgame? Since October 30, 2025, Viva Goods has bought a total of 83,623,000 Li Ning shares — about 3.24% of the company — at an average price of roughly HK$15.27 each. It now holds 407,537,043 shares, up from a 14.27% stake before the latest purchase.
Li Ning will continue to be accounted for as an associate of the group, with Viva Goods sharing in its profits.
By the numbers: Li Ning posted audited profit after taxation of RMB 2,935,743,000 for the year ended December 31, 2025, down slightly from RMB 3,012,918,000 in 2024. In the first half of 2026, unaudited profit after taxation reached RMB 1,816,185,000, while net assets rose to about RMB 28,658,629,000 as of June 30, 2026.
What's next? Because the acquisitions fall within a 12-month window, they are aggregated under Rule 14.22 of the Hong Kong Listing Rules. Two percentage ratios exceed 25% but stay below 100%, making the deal a major transaction that requires shareholder approval. Viva Goods has secured written approval from a closely allied group of shareholders, waiving the need for a general meeting.
The signal: Viva Goods' steady accumulation signals rising conviction in Li Ning, deepening a strategic tie to one of China's largest sportswear brands even as the company's annual profit edges lower.
Read more: minichart.com.sg
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
