(Reuters) -Burberry shares rose as much as 8% on Monday after a media report said Italian luxury outerwear maker Moncler was considering a bid for the British luxury retailer.
Moncler, known for its puffer jackets, on Sunday, said it would not comment on “unsubstantiated rumours” of a possible deal between the two luxury brands.
Burberry, which had a market valuation of nearly 3 billion pounds ($3.89 billion) as of the last close, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Monday.
The company’s shares, which jumped to 876.6 pence in early trading, pared gains to trade around 3.5% higher by 0732 GMT. The stock has plummeted about 40% so far this year.
Moncler shares, largely flat at 50.8 euros currently, fell as much as 1.5% early in the session.
Burberry, known for dressing the English upper class in its classic camel, red, and black check prints, has lagged behind its peers as it struggles to revive demand for its clothing.
It scrapped its dividend and issued a profit warning in July.
Broadly, luxury groups have struggled with tighter consumer spending in recent quarters, especially in China, with Moncler reporting a 3% drop in third-quarter sales last month.
($1 = 0.7710 pounds)
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