KTM Puts MV Agusta Shares Up for Sale
The news that we could all see coming has arrived, as Pierer Mobility-owned KTM puts its share in MV Agusta on the market
KTM’s financial troubles are having far-reaching effects on the brand’s portfolio and profile, and the latest casualty of the crisis is MV Agusta.
While there has been no official communication from either KTM, MV Agusta or Pierer Mobility (PMG) the news has broken that the Austrian brand’s stake in the historic Varese-based bike maker is now up for grabs. The news comes just nine months after KTM acquired a 50.1 per cent stake in the Varase-based brand.
From a financial perspective, the move makes total sense, with KTM putting itself into a so-called ‘self-administration’ early this year, seemingly needing to get its ducks in a row. It also makes sense as the acquisition of MV never seemed like a comfortable fit with the rest of the Pierer Mobility Group’s (PMG) brands.
The reports of the offload of shares now come from Autosport, which states that the regional court in Ried im Innkreis in Upper Austria announced the news on December 17. It also reports that KTM’s stake in MV Agusta Services are also being sold. The outlet also speculates that MV Agusta’s former owner (before the PMG share acquisition), Timur Sardarov, is interested in buying back the shares. This move, if he’s willing and able to do it, could see the Russian back at the helm of the historic manufacturer.
When asked last week regarding the initial reports of the sale of MV, KTM UK refused to comment.
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