In 1995 Gucci Group earned a record $83 million, on revenues of $500 million. Investcorp decided it was time to take some marbles off the table. In October 1995 it sold part of its Gucci holding in an initial public stock offering in Amsterdam and New York; a year later it sold the balance in a secondary offering. On its $800 million Gucci investment, Investcorp earned $2 billion and would have made more had it held on. By 1997 revenues had reached $975 million, and the net came in at $176 million, a high (even by luxury goods standards) 18% of sales.

But for all the control they exercise over Gucci's products and image, De Sole and Ford cannot control the price of Gucci's stock. Which is why Gucci is now a takeover play. Because nearly half its operating profits come from Asia, its stock fell steadily in the midst of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, from around $70 to $30 before bouncing to around $40, where it remained throughout most of last year.




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