LVMH scraps deal with Tiffany

奢侈品最大收购案告吹

Louis Vuitton owner LVMH is scrapping its $16.2 billion acquisition of Tiffany, a deal that would have been the biggest ever in the luxury industry.

路易威登品牌母公司、法国奢侈品巨头路易•威登(LVMH)宣布终止以162亿美元的价格收购美国珠宝连锁店蒂凡尼的交易，奢侈品行业历史上最大收购案告吹。

The luxury-goods giant said Wednesday the merger agreement signed last November provides for a closing deadline of no later than Nov 24, 2020.

LVMH集团9月9日发布声明称，按照双方去年11月达成的收购协议，2020年11月24日是交易截止日期。

But Tiffany had requested extending the date to Dec 31, and the French minister of foreign affairs had directed the company to defer the deal until after Jan 6 due to a US threat of taxes on French goods.

但蒂凡尼要求将这一日期延长至12月31日，同时法国外交部长也指示LVMH集团将交易截止日期推迟至明年1月6日，以应对美国政府威胁对法国商品征税的危机。

The company said in a statement that it will not be able to complete the acquisition of Tiffany "as it stands."

鉴于上述原因，LVMH集团称，将无法按现状完成对蒂凡尼的收购。

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the luxury retail sector hard, sending Tiffany's same-store sales down 44% and throwing the LVMH deal into doubt.

新冠疫情给奢侈品零售业带来了沉重打击，蒂凡尼的同店销售额下降了44%，LVMH集团也对此交易产生了犹疑。

Investors worried whether the French company overpaid, and LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault was looking to lower the price of buying the US jewelry chain, according to people familiar with the matter.

据知情人士透露，投资者担心LVMH集团这桩收购“买贵了”，LVMH集团首席执行官伯纳德•阿诺特则一直在试图降低交易价格。