Updated
Updated · XTB · Jul 29
Hermès Slides 11.6% on China Slowdown, Dragging Euro Stoxx 50 Down 0.4%
Updated
Updated · XTB · Jul 29

Hermès Slides 11.6% on China Slowdown, Dragging Euro Stoxx 50 Down 0.4%

1 articles · Updated · XTB · Jul 29

Summary

  • Hermès shares sank 11.6% and were briefly suspended after investors looked past solid earnings to focus on slowing sales momentum in China and weaker demand in the Middle East.
  • €4.1 billion in second-quarter revenue rose 7% year on year and first-half recurring operating profit reached €3.4 billion with a 41% margin, but the stock's rich valuation amplified the market reaction.
  • A 9.5% drop in perfumes and cosmetics added to the pressure, even as Japan and the Americas posted double-digit sales growth and leather goods revenue climbed 10.2%.
  • The selloff weighed on broader European markets, pushing the CAC 40 down 0.7% and the Euro Stoxx 50 down 0.4%, while Brent crude near $90 a barrel added another drag on sentiment.
  • Strong bank earnings from UBS and Deutsche Bank offered only limited support, underscoring how a single luxury heavyweight can dominate regional trading when China demand is in doubt.

Insights

If Hermès still boasts a massive 41% margin, what hidden crisis triggered its shocking 11.6% market collapse today?
Are the massive trading windfalls celebrated by major European lenders merely a temporary illusion masking deeper economic fragility?
Could the booming secondhand luxury market be secretly cannibalizing the primary sales of untouchable brands like Hermès?