Amer Sports Reports 32% Revenue Growth as Arc'teryx, Salomon Drive Q2 Momentum
The Finnish sports conglomerate posted strong margin expansion across all segments, with DTC reaching a record 55% of revenue.
Broad-Based Growth Across Portfolio
Amer Sports posted robust second-quarter results with revenue growth exceeding 30% across all three primary segments, driven by what CEO James Zheng described as "exceptional" performance from Salomon Softgoods, strong Arc'teryx omnichannel comparable growth, and accelerating Wilson Tennis 360 momentum (earnings call, 2026-08-18).
The company generated 32% reported revenue growth, or 3% excluding currency effects, in the quarter ended June 30, 2026. Direct-to-consumer sales surged 40%, reaching a record 55% of total revenue, while wholesale expanded 24% (earnings call, 2026-08-18).
Technical Apparel Leads with Women's Surge
Arc'teryx delivered "another great quarter with broad-based strength across regions, channels and categories," according to Zheng, posting a 17% omnichannel comparable in Technical Apparel (earnings call, 2026-08-18). Women's products grew faster than any other category, with units in seasonal colorways generating over 60% of women's sales.
The brand expanded its ReBIRD circularity program to 47 centers during the quarter, adding five new locations. Arc'teryx footwear continued strong double-digit growth led by the Norvan LD 4 trail shoe, while the brand prepared to launch athletes in the UTMB race (earnings call, 2026-08-18).
Salomon Gains Traction in Key Markets
Salomon Softgoods delivered "another outstanding quarter" with momentum across both Sportstyle and Performance products (earnings call, 2026-08-18). The brand announced a global ambassador partnership with an unnamed "global superstar singer and actress," generating coverage that reached nearly one billion consumers across social platforms.
In China, Salomon posted "very strong double-digit growth" driven by strength across Sportstyle, performance, and apparel categories (earnings call, 2026-08-18). The company operates what it believes are "the most productive and profitable sneaker shops in the industry" in Greater China.
Salomon's epicenter strategy focused on key metro markets including Paris, London, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, and New York, with plans to expand to additional cities. In North America, the brand opened its first flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City during Q2 (earnings call, 2026-08-18).
Wilson Tennis 360 Exceeds Expectations
Ball & Racquet sales grew 24% in Q2, driven by continued Tennis 360 strength across both Softgoods and racquets. Wilson launched two major racquet lines: the Blade franchise Version 10 and the new Defyer power-spin racquet, which CFO Andrew Page said had "early results...even exceeding the v10 launch" (earnings call, 2026-08-18).
The brand signed new players including former World Top 5 player Holger Rune and 17-year-old rising star Moise Kouame. Sponsored athlete Marta Kostyuk reached semifinals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, generating visibility for Wilson Tennis outfits (earnings call, 2026-08-18).
Margin Expansion Driven by Mix and Tariff Refund
Adjusted gross margin increased 710 basis points to 65.8%, primarily due to a one-time net tariff refund benefit of $64.3 million representing 390 basis points. Excluding this benefit, underlying gross margin expanded more than 300 basis points from favorable pricing, product, channel and geographic mix, plus lower transportation and duties costs (earnings call, 2026-08-18).
Adjusted SG&A expenses as a percentage of revenue increased 20 basis points to 54.9% in Q2. Asia Pacific led geographic growth at 60%, followed by China at 36%, Americas at 26%, and EMEA at 20% (earnings call, 2026-08-18).
MarginX data shows recent insider activity including CEO Jie Zheng exercising options for 500,000 shares and selling 500,000 shares.
This article was generated by MarginX from the earnings call on 2026-08-18. It is not investment advice.