Adidas completes second share buyback program of 2021

By

Robin Driver

Published
Dec 2, 2021

German sportswear giant Adidas announced on Wednesday that it has completed its second share buyback program of the year, repurchasing 1,619,683 shares for a total of 450 million euros.

 
Carried out between October 18 and November 25, 2021, the buyback program saw the company purchase the shares at an average price of 277.83 euros apiece.
 
Considering both of the buyback programs carried out by the company this year, Adidas has purchased a total of 3,471,205 shares for 1 billion euros in 2021. When combined with the dividend payment of 585 million euros made by the company in May, this makes for a total of almost 1.6 billion euros that the sportswear group has returned to its shareholders over the course of the year.

The transactions are part of the company’s new “Own the Game” strategy, a key pillar of which is strong cash returns. According to Adidas, the majority of free cash flow generated through 2025 – between $8 billion and $9 billion – will be distributed to shareholders.
 
The company will execute this strategy through regular dividend pay-outs in the range of 30% to 50% of net income from continuing operations, as well as through share buybacks.
 
“‘Own the Game’ is a growth and investment strategy resulting in significant value creation,” said Adidas CFO Harm Ohlmeyer in a release. “Dividends as well as share buybacks are key components of this. Against this background and given our positive outlook for 2022, we plan to continue our regular share buyback activities early next year.”
 
Ohlmeyer went on to explain that 2022’s buyback programs will be further complemented by the return of the majority of the cash proceeds from the company’s previously announced sale of the Reebok brand to Adidas’ shareholders. The Reebok sale, which will see New York-based Authentic Brands Group acquire the brand for 2.1 billion euros ($2.46 billion), is expected to close in the first quarter of next year.
 
The majority of shares repurchased by Adidas as part of its buyback activities will be canceled.