Superdry founder said to have held buyout talks with PE firms

Clothing company Superdry's founder Julian Dunkerton has allegedly held discussions with private equity firms surrounding a potential buyout.

According to the Sunday Times, talks between Dunkerton, who owns 23.9% of the firm, and potential investors have taken place throughout the course of 2022, with the chief executive said to be mulling over the idea of rolling his stake into a new private vehicle.

Superdry shares have fallen 60% in 2022 and closed at 105.50p on Friday - a near-record low that values the business at just £86.0m. "Dunkerton thinks it's super-cheap," said a Times source.

However, a source close to Superdry said there were no active talks on a take-private deal and highlighted that no advisers had been appointed for a potential sale.

As of 0900 GMT, Superdry shares were up 1.71% at 107.20p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com