Chinese apparel company Anta Sports is among firms exploring a potential takeover of Puma, according to people familiar with the matter. Hong Kong-listed Anta has been working with an adviser to evaluate a bid for Puma, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The company may team up with a private equity firm if it decides to move forward with an offer, some of the people said. Puma shares surged as much as 17% in Frankfurt trading. A representative for Anta didn’t respond to requests for comment, while representatives for Artémis, Asics and Puma declined to comment. Responding to a Bloomberg News query, Li Ning said in a statement that it remains focused on the growth of its brand, and hasn’t conducted any “substantive” negotiations or evaluatio

See Full Page