LVMH, L’Oreal mulling bids for Aesop - report

LVMH and L’Oréal are reportedly among the luxury consumer companies weighing offers for a stake in Aesop that may value the high-end cosmetics brand at $2bn or more.

Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter as saying that Japanese beauty group Shiseido Co. is also studying a potential bid for an interest in Aesop.

Aesop is owned by Brazilian cosmetics maker Natura & Co., which is working with Bank of America Corp. and Morgan Stanley as it explores the sale of a stake in the business, Bloomberg News reported last year.

It was understood that deliberations are ongoing and there’s no certainty they’ll result in any offers for a stake in Aesop.

Sao Paulo-based Natura said in October that it was assessing options to unlock value at Aesop, including a possible IPO or spinoff. Tough markets for new listings in 2022 saw the company lean toward a stake sale. The move is part of a broader overhaul being orchestrated by Fabio Barbosa, who took over as chief executive officer last year, Bloomberg said.