By Helen Reid
LONDON (Reuters) -Sportswear group Amer Sports sees lower sales growth this year after a strong 2024, the company said on Tuesday as it reported fourth-quarter results boosted by sales of Salomon shoes and expensive Arc'teryx jackets.
Amer, which listed in New York in February last year and is known for its Salomon, Arc'teryx and Wilson brands, said exchange rates would weigh slightly on its 2025 results. Its revenue growth outlook of 13-15% for 2025 was weaker than analysts expected, and a decline from 18% growth in 2024.
Amer Sports shares, which have gained around 120% since listing, fell 3% in pre-market trading.
CEO James Zheng said growth at Arc'teryx - which sells waterproof jackets for as much as $900 - helped boost overall fourth-quarter sales which grew 23% from a year ago, to $1.64 billion. Amer Sports' revenue for the year was $5.18 billion.
Amer Sports says Arc'teryx is the most profitable part of the business.
Sales of Salomon shoes have also grown significantly, the company said, accounting for more than $1 billion of sales in 2024. Both brands have gained from a trend for hiking shoes and rugged outdoors apparel worn as streetwear.
Amer Sports saw especially strong growth in Asia, with quarterly sales up 53.9% in Greater China and 52.4% in Asia Pacific, while the Americas, its biggest region by revenue, grew 15.1%.
"The outdoor trend in China continues to be very strong, attracting younger consumers, female consumers, and even luxury shoppers," Amer Sports Chief Financial Officer Andrew Page said on a call with analysts.
Page said Amer Sports was well equipped to navigate different tariff scenarios, ahead of potential U.S. tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and Vietnam, after President Donald Trump hiked tariffs on imports from China.
Canada, China, Mexico and Vietnam together account for just 20% of the products Amer Sports sells in the United States, Page said, with China and Vietnam accounting for the majority of that exposure.
(Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)