Unitl 9:00 a.m. CET, shares of $BC (-0.89%) Brunello Cucinelli were more or less at the same level of the very beginning of 2025. At the close of the market, the share registered a -19% in a couple of hours only.
Despite having reported, in his last half-year financial report, + 14.1% YoY revenue increase and an EBITDA margin passing from 28.6% to 29.3%, the Italian Casa di Moda paid a high tribute of ongoing geopolitical crisis and shortselling by hedge funds.
Already in the summer, different hedge funds went short on the Company. During the weekend Pertento Partners, on the "Financial Times", reported worries on the fact that the company would sell in Russia violating the EU sanctions following the war against Ukraine. However, that was not enough to cause the share to drop: another hedge fund, Morpheus Research, published a report today stating that, through an investigation involving taking interviews with former Cucinelli employees and partners, an in-depth analysis of commercial data, and visits to Cucinelli's Russian shops, it had evidence on Cucinelli selling in Russia more than what would be allowed under EU sanctions.
The company published a statement before 4 p.m. CET rejecting the accusations. Indeed, it said, the Italian Customs and Monopoly Agency have not reported any violation with exports in Russia and that exposure to the Russian market was minimized, with revenues from the macro-area accounting for 2% of total revenues with respect to 9% in 2021. The Casa di Moda added that it will consider addressing the statements made by hedge funds in front of a court to protect its own reputation and all the shareholders.
It should be added that the abovementioned hedge funds are short on Brunello Cucinelli. As of yesterday, other hedge funds being seriously short on the title are Jp Morgan Asset Management Uk Limited, Aqr Capital Management, Kintbury Capital.
