Wealthy H&M family accelerates stock acquisitions
In a significant development, the Persson family, founders of the popular fashion retailer H&M, is accelerating its acquisition of shares in the company, fuelling speculation that they may take H&M private by 2030. As of the end of May 2025, the family and its related companies controlled more than 64% of H&M’s shares, with Ramsbury Invest (the family's holding company) buying 42.75 million shares in the first half of 2025 alone.
Deutsche Bank analyst Adam Cochrane has predicted that the Persson family is likely to take H&M private by 2030. According to Cochrane, as the family owns more shares, they receive higher dividends which can be reinvested to further increase their stake, supporting the possibility of a privatization move in the medium term.
Despite the heightened share purchases and growing stake, official spokespersons for H&M have declined to comment on whether there is a plan to take the company private. However, the rapid increase in share acquisitions by the Persson family has boosted speculation about H&M's future.
Notably, Ramsbury Invest's share purchases in H&M have been substantial in recent years. In 2023, the family's holding company bought 55.65 million H&M shares. The previous year saw even more significant purchases, with Ramsbury Invest acquiring 56.85 million shares in 2024. The most recent share purchase by Ramsbury Invest occurred on Monday.
This accelerated share acquisition by the Persson family comes amidst a challenging year for H&M. The retailer's share price is down 9% since the start of this year, and investment bankers expect more publicly-listed retailers to go private due to US President Donald Trump's tariffs affecting share prices and market volatility.
In 2020, Karl-Johan Persson, the son of Stefan Persson, became chair of H&M, marking the first time H&M had a CEO from outside the family. Stefan Persson took over as CEO of H&M in 1982 and stayed in the role for 27 years before handing over to his son in 2009.
Founded by Erling Persson in 1947, H&M has grown to become one of the world's leading fashion retailers, with more than 5,000 stores across 74 markets worldwide. While the Persson family's intentions remain unclear, the recent share acquisitions have sparked much interest and anticipation among investors and industry observers.
[1] "H&M: Persson family increases stake in retailer amid privatisation speculation" - BBC News, 1st June 2025. [2] "Persson family's increased stake in H&M fuels privatisation speculation" - Reuters, 1st June 2025. [5] "Deutsche Bank analyst predicts H&M will go private by 2030" - Bloomberg, 1st June 2023.
The Deutsche Bank analyst, Adam Cochrane, predicts that the Persson family's substantial share acquisitions in H&M may lead to a privatization move by 2030. Meanwhile, the heightened acquisitions have led to increased speculation about H&M's future business strategy in the investment world.
