On August 18, Amer Sports (NYSE:AS) reported second-quarter results that beat its own guidance and then raised the bar for the rest of the year. Revenue climbed 32% to $1.63 billion, adjusted operating profit nearly tripled, and every region and segment posted double-digit growth. Diluted earnings per share reached $0.18, up from a much smaller figure a year earlier. What stands out about August 18 is not just the size of the beat but how broad it was.
Technical Apparel grew 32% to $674 million, led by Arc'teryx and backed by a 17% omni-comp gain across owned stores and e-commerce. Outdoor Performance grew even faster, up 37% to $569 million, driven by Salomon Softgoods. Ball & Racquet Sports rose 24% to $390 million on the strength of Wilson Tennis 360. CEO James Zheng pointed to strong double-digit growth across every segment, geography, and channel as the reason for confidence in the outlook.
That confidence showed up in the numbers: Amer Sports raised full-year 2026 guidance to roughly 24% reported revenue growth, a gross margin of 60.5% to 61.0%, an operating margin of 14.2% to 14.5%, and diluted EPS of $1.27 to $1.30. The balance sheet backs up the reinvestment CFO Andrew Page described, with $573 million in net cash and $720 million in cash and equivalents at quarter-end.
Some of the second quarter's biggest numbers lean on a one-time tailwind. Gross margin expanded 710 basis points to 65.6%, but 390 of those points came from net tariff refunds. Operating margin's 820 basis point jump included the same 390-point benefit. The effect is largest in Ball & Racquet Sports, where adjusted segment operating margin rose 1,300 basis points to 17.2%, yet 970 of those points came from tariff refunds alone. Selling, general and administrative expenses rose 30% to $909 million, and on an adjusted basis SG&A grew 33%, faster than revenue itself.
Inventories climbed 19% year over year to $1,897 million. The guidance for the next quarter also points to a slower pace: third quarter revenue growth is guided at 18% to 20%, well below the 32% just reported, with gross margin guided down to about 59.0% and net finance cost alone guided to $15 million to $20 million, against roughly $85 million for the entire year.

#revenue #basis

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 27: Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan practises with Coach Stefano Vukov ahead of The Championships Wimbledon 2023 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 27, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan looks on against Qinwen Zheng of China during their Women's Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Eleven of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 09, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) Getty
The coach of Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, Stefano Vukov, supports her from the players box as she competes against Belarus' Victoria Azarenka during their women's singles semi-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 26, 2023. - -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by MARTIN KEEP/AFP via Getty Images) Getty
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 25: Stefano Vukov watches Elena Rybakina train before The Championships Wimbledon 2026 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) Getty
Elena Rybakina is a professional tennis player widely regarded as one of the world's best. Her coach, Stefano Vukov, is also rumored to be her boyfriend. Vukov transitioned from playing professionally to coaching Rybakina. The 39-year-old was born on March 27, 1987.

#rybakina #elena #london

Qinwen Zheng's incredible US Open run has now come to an end.
Zheng underwent elbow surgery last year and had since struggled to rediscover the form that helped her reach world number four in the WTA rankings, an Australian Open final and win Olympic gold.
As a result, Zheng had dropped down the rankings and had to play qualifying at the US Open as the world number 121.
Not only did Zheng come through qualifying, but she made it all the way to the quarter-finals and she will now be rewarded in the WTA rankings.
Photo by Simon Bruty/USTA via Getty Images

#zheng #rankings #number #qualifying

Elena Rybakina is one win away from the world number one ranking, but the Kazakh star says her main goal in her US Open quarter-final clash with Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday is to advance toward a third Grand Slam ******* le.
"Number one ranking is, of course, one of the goals," Rybakina says. "But I think the main focus for me is to win the ******* les, and then the ranking will follow up."
Rybakina arrived at Flushing Meadows as one of four women with a chance to supplant Aryna Sabalenka atop the rankings, and the only one with her fate in her own hands. Reaching the semis will send her to the summit for the first time, and she could even get there if she loses -- if Sabalenka, world number three Jessica Pegula and fourth-ranked Coco Gauff all fail to lift the trophy.
Rybakina, who has shown no sign of the foot injury that hindered her US Open preparations, will be out to halt the remarkable run of Zheng -- the Paris Olympics gold medallist who had to come through qualifying thanks to a rankings plunge in the wake of elbow surgery last year.
Gauff, in the quarters for the first time since she won the US Open ******* le in 2023, will take on fifth-seeded French Open champion Mirra Andreeva for a place in the semis while men's top seed Alexander Zverev faces Dutch veteran Botic van de Zandschulp.

#open

Zheng Qinwen pulled off another US Open stunner Monday, beating Iga Swiatek to book a quarter final with Elena Rybakina as men's top seed Alexander Zverev advanced safely to the last eight.
It was one more gritty comeback for Zheng, the Paris Olympics gold medallist and a former world number four now ranked 121st after struggling in the wake of elbow surgery last year.
Zheng had won the last seven games, saving a match point, as she shocked Madison Keys in her previous match.
After falling behind 5-0 in the first set against six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek she again reeled off seven straight games.
She then broke Swiatek twice in the second set to clinch the win.

#last #match #Monday

Coco Gauff marched into the fourth round of the US Open but compatriots Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys exited on a mixed day for home hopes in New York.
Gauff, the most recent American champion in New York in 2023, did not have things all her own way but maintained her bid for a second triumph by overcoming Spain's Cristina Bucsa 6-3 6-4.
However, Keys said she felt "scared" as she slumped to defeat despite leading her third set against China's Zheng Qinwen 5-0, while last year's runner-up Anisimova lost in straight sets.
But there still will be five American women in the last 16, with teenager Iva Jovic winning later on Saturday to join Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Taylor Townsend and Emma Navarro.
American players could also contest five of the eight fourth-round matches in the men's draw, with Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Alex Michelsen through - and Learner Tien still to play.

#gauff #keys #round #last

Trailing 5-0 in the third set against No. 22 seed Madison Keys, Qinwen Zheng staged a thrilling comeback by winning the next seven games to secure a 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 victory on Saturday, Sept. 5 and reach the fourth round of the US Open in New York.
Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist from China, held serve while trailing 5-0, then saved a match point with Keys serving at 5-1. Zheng broke the 2017 U.S. Open runner-up three times during her seven-game run before serving out the improbable victory in two hours, 28 minutes.
"I'm just telling myself (to) keep holding every single point, never give up, stay there and somehow, little by little, it just happened," Zheng said in her on-court interview.
In 2024, when she won gold at the Olympics after advancing to the Australian Open final, Zheng was ranked as high as No. 4. However, following right elbow surgery, she is at No. 121 and had to make it through qualifying just to reach the main draw at the U.S. Open.
"After the surgery, it was not easy," Zheng said. "It felt like I lost a bit of my energy on the tennis court. I've been through really tough (moments) these last three, four, five months.

#trailing #seven #point

Former Australian Open champion Madison Keys felt "scared" and as though "I couldn't play tennis anymore," she said Saturday after losing at the US Open.
Keys squandered a 5-0 lead in the third set, wasting a match point and dropping the last seven games to fall to Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen of China 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5.
"I obviously got off to a really good lead, and then I got really scared, like I couldn't swing," Keys said of the third-set implosion that had her banging her head with her racquet in frustration..
"At the end, I think she started playing better; I started playing poorly," Keys said.
"Then I felt like I couldn't play tennis anymore. It just felt like it was a much bigger deal than just playing a tennis match all of a sudden."

#like #scared #play

China's Bu Yunchaokete produced one of the US Open's most surprising results so far on Wednesday, drubbing rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar in straight sets.
Bu, ranked 124th, needed less than two hours to take down 12th-seeded Jodar, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 in one of the most one-sided scorelines of this year's championships.
A native of Xinjiang, Bu lost in the final round of qualifying, but was granted a spot as a "lucky loser" when Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew with an injury.
Bu had finished his warmup Tuesday morning ahead of a planned flight that evening when he found out he could play. Now he's in the second round against American Michael Zheng, a two-time US collegiate champion.
"It's nothing you can lose with a lucky loser," Bu said after the match, describing his approach as "enjoy the crowd and enjoy the court and play one of the best players in this year."

#loser #spanish

NEW YORK — A little after midday Friday, Zheng Qinwen, who has felt the weight of an Olympic gold medal around her neck and a Grand Slam final on her shoulders, collapsed on the green acrylic of Stadium 17 at the U.S. Open and roared with delight.
In a match held over from Thursday's thunderstorms at Flushing Meadows, the 2024 Paris Olympic champion defeated Russia's Elena Pridankina 6-4, 3-6, 6-0. The win, her third of the week, sent Zheng into the main draw of the year's fourth Grand Slam.
That's territory Zheng, the 23-year-old from China, seemed able to take for granted in the afterglow of her Olympic glory, which followed a run to the 2024 Australian Open final. Then came a persistent right elbow injury. Surgery. Rehab. Comebacks that turned right back into layoffs. A tumble down the rankings to world No. 121. Early-round defeats that left her struggling to see how she would find her way back.
In New York, it all came out.
Scenes of joy, despair, triumph and disaster played out across the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on the final day of a part of the tournament that occupies a curious place in its wider context. Qualifying is the backbone of what the U.S. Open has labeled "Fan Week." It's free to attend. It's a fun and accessible way to see elite tennis, especially in a year with surging resale ticket prices for the main event.

#zheng #york

By Karen Roman
Amer Sports, Inc. (NYSE: AS) said second quarter revenue increased 32% to $1.63 billion and gross margin rose on net tariff refunds.
Apparel revenue grew due the performance of its brands like Arc'teryx, Salomon and Wilson, it stated. Operating margin rose 820 basis points to 11.7% and adjusted net income increased 252% to $127 million, or $0.22 adjusted diluted earnings per share, Amer Sports said.
The company announced it is raising its 2026 outlook and now expects around 24% of revenue growth, operating margin between 14.2 to 14.5%, and fully diluted EPS of $1.27 – $1.30.
"Our global momentum continued through the second quarter with over 30% revenue growth and strong operating margin expansion," said James Zheng, Amer Sports CEO. "All segments, geographies, and channels achieved strong double-digit growth led by another exceptional quarter from Salomon Softgoods, a strong Arc'teryx omni-comp, and a Wilson Tennis 360 acceleration."

#sports #revenue

NEW YORK (AP) — An additional 13 teams, one featuring Venus Williams and some comprised of married couples, have entered the U.S. Open mixed doubles championship.
The new duos announced Monday by the U.S. Tennis ***** ociation raised the total to 29 teams for the 16 spots in the main draw, which will be held on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26.
Williams is partnering with Alexander Bublik for the tournament that was overhauled last year, with a $1 million prize to the winning team, in an effort to get top singles players to compete. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic headlined the initial list of 16 teams who entered.
Elina Svitolina and her husband Gael Monfils, who is expected to play his final Grand Slam event at the U.S. Open, and newlyweds Katie Boulter and Alex De Minaur also were among the new entries.
The other new teams: Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, Anna Kalinskaya and Lorenzo Musetti, Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, Maria Sakkari and Karen Khachanov, Tatjana Maria and Valentin Vacherot, Reese Brantmeier and Michael Zheng, Jelena Ostapenko and Marcelo Arevalo, Gabriela Dabrowski and Harri Heliovaara, Demi Schuurs and Julian Cash, and Caty McNally and Robert Cash.

#teams #grand #maria #singles

The company issued a statement after a sharp increase in trading volume, saying it is unaware of any undisclosed developments that would explain the recent market activity.
Zhengye Biotechnology (NASDAQ:ZYBT) said it is not aware of any material non-public information behind recent share price and trading volume movements.
The Zhengye unusual trading activity statement follows increased market activity in the company's Class A ordinary shares.
Management said business operations continue as normal, with no undisclosed corporate events or transactions.
The company confirmed it has been in contact with Nasdaq regarding the recent trading activity.

#activity

Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were preparing to question a British zoologist and disease ecology expert upon his return to the United States from the World Health Organization's investigation into the origins of COVID-19, before the FBI intervened and asked agents to stand down, according to files released Monday by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
"They told the public a COVID lab leak 'wasn't plausible,'" Rand wrote on X. "Their own private messages say otherwise. Today I'm launching The Reading Room where the public can review records related to my ongoing investigation – not just conclusions but the actual documents."
The documents show CBP's National Targeting Center flagged Peter Daszak as "a high person of interest" ahead of his Feb. 5, 2021, arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Daszak, the former president of EcoHealth Alliance, was flagged because of more than 15 years of collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and his longstanding relationship with its lead researcher, Zhengli Shi, as well as his role as principal investigator on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants funding bat coronavirus research in China.
Rand Paul Brings Cia Whistleblower To Senate Hearing Alleging 'Deep State' Covid-19 Conspiracy

Taylor Fritz has promised more eye-catching entrances during the second week of Wimbledon after he marked a mixed fourth of July for the United States with a four-set win over Lorenzo Sonego.
After hopefuls Tommy Paul, Jenson Brooksby and Michael Zheng exited the day before the public holiday, America’s 250th anniversary was marked by further blows with Serena Williams ruled out of women’s doubles action before more male players crashed out of the Championships.
Fritz made sure not to add any more woe to celebrations across the pond with a gritty 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Sonego on a boisterous Court Two to make the last 16 at the All England Club for the fourth time in five years.
Another string to Fritz’s bow in England in 2026 has been his emergence as a ‘fashionista’ after sponsor Hugo Boss produced a custom-made white suit for him to wear on to the grass before his tear-away trousers are ripped off in an eye-catching manner.
Quizzed on his new trademark arrival, Fritz smiled: “I mean, I am a little superstitious, so I don’t like to change a winning routine.

Cameron Norrie suffered a rare Wimbledon first-round upset as he lost a gruelling five-setter to qualifier Michael Zheng in a disappointing opening day for British players.
Norrie was the only British seeded player left in either singles draw following Emma Raducanu's withdrawal on the eve of the Championships.
But the world number 29, so often the last Briton standing at the Grand Slams, was twice reeled back in by American Zheng after being a set up, eventually losing 6-7 (7-9) 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 7-6 (10-4) after four hours on court.
It is the first time Norrie - a semi-finalist in 2022 and quarter-finalist last year - has lost in the first round at Wimbledon since 2018.
The 30-year-old was among six Britons to lose on the opening day of the Championships, while there was further disappointment when Jack Draper announced his withdrawal 24 hours before his opening match because of injury.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 03: Roger Federer is recognized during the Women's Singles Quarterfinal match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Roger Federer will return to the court at the U.S. Open later this summer.
For an exhibition.
The USTA announced Monday that the 20-time Grand Slam champion, five-time U.S. Open champion and 2026 International Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee will compete in an exhibition called ‘Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York’ the night of Tuesday, August 25, inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Federer last competed at the U.S. Open in 2019 after famously captivating New York by becoming the only man or woman to win five consecutive U.S. Open singles championships (2004-08).