Authentic Brands Group agreed to take Guess? Inc. private in a transaction valued at about US$1.4 billion, including debt. Shareholders will receive US$16.75 in cash for each share, a 26% premium to the stock’s last closing price. The deal, struck in partnership with Guess co-founders Maurice and Paul Marciano and chief executive officer Carlos Alberini, is scheduled to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals. Under the arrangement, Authentic Brands will acquire a majority stake in Guess’s intellectual-property assets while the current management team retains control of the operating company. The move adds the Los Angeles-based denim label, founded in 1981, to Authentic’s portfolio of more than 50 consumer names and follows the brand manager’s recent purchases of Dockers, Champion and Reebok. Separately, the Pinault family’s holding firm Artemis is working with advisers to evaluate options for its 29% stake in German sportswear maker Puma SE, including a potential sale, according to people familiar with the matter. News of the review sent Puma shares up roughly 18% in Frankfurt, giving the company a market value of about €3.3 billion (US$3.9 billion). Prospective buyers sounded out include Chinese groups Anta Sports and Li Ning, U.S. rivals and sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East, the people said. Artemis, Puma and the named suitors declined to comment.