TOPIC

/ company

Li Ning

Li Ning is a Chinese sportswear company founded by Li Ning, who is the company’s chairman and is known in China as the “Prince of Gymnastics” for winning six medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Li-Ning’s popularity surged in 2018 after it became the first Chinese sportswear maker to participate in New York Fashion Week, and as younger consumers warmed to the brand's patriotic designs. Besides its core brand, Li Ning also makes and sells products under the Double Happiness (table tennis), AIGLE (outdoor) and Kason (badminton) brands.

Chairman / President

Li Ning

CEO / Managing Director

Li Ning

CFO / Finance Director

Zhao Dongsheng

Industry

Clothing, sportswear

Website

lining.com

Headquarters address

. No. 8 Xing Guang 5th Street, Opto-Mechat, Beijing, Beijing, China

Stock Code

SEHK:2331

Year founded

1989

People walk past Exchange Square in Central, home of bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, on March 28, 2025. Photo: Matthew Miller

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks retreat to 4-week low as more Trump tariffs loom

Investor jitters over tariffs set to be unveiled on April 2 outweigh a positive China manufacturing report.

31 Mar 2025 - 4:36PM

Consumers

China’s top sportswear maker stumbles in consumption slowdown

16 Aug 2024 - 6:09PM

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong take-private deals jump as poor valuations dismay investors

14 Mar 2024 - 4:02PM

Hong Kong stock market

China’s ‘gymnastics prince’ Li Ning mulls taking his sportswear firm private

The billionaire entrepreneur and Olympic champion is considering taking his namesake sportswear company private from the Hong Kong stock exchange, four people said, adding to a string of such potential deals in a faltering market.

12 Mar 2024 - 4:40PMvideocam

Li, 61, founded Li Ning Co a few years after retiring from a decorated gymnastics career in 1988. Photo: Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

IPO

Anta-backed Amer Sports mulls raising up to US$1.8 billion in US IPO: sources

The company could sell about 100 million shares in a range of US$16 to US$18 each, and the terms of the IPO may be announced in the coming few days, sources say

22 Jan 2024 - 1:23PM

China stock market

China price wars help spark US$157 billion rout in mainland consumer stocks

The biggest drags on the MSCI benchmark since the end of September 2023 include Alibaba, Yum China and BYD, which have all been offering big discounts.

14 Jan 2024 - 4:26PM

Hong Kong property

Sportswear maker Li Ning buys US$282 million office property in Hong Kong

China’s biggest sportswear maker Li Ning’s purchase of a US$282 million mixed office and retail building to house its headquarters in Hong Kong, is a shot in the arm for the city’s slowing office property market.

11 Dec 2023 - 1:22PM

Signage at a Li-Ning store in Shanghai, China. Photo: Bloomberg

Hong Kong stock market

Chinese sportswear retailer Li Ning ‘under pressure’ after profit declines

Company will focus on offline store performance after net profit in the first half of 2023 fell 3 per cent year on year to US$293 million despite a 13 per cent revenue increase.

11 Aug 2023 - 10:07PM

Hong Kong stock market

Li Ning shares drop on weaker-than-expected 2022 profits

Looking ahead, ‘a huge market vitality has been unleashed, which is conducive to promoting sports consumption’, founder says.

17 Mar 2023 - 6:03PM

Hong Kong property

Li-Ning, Dior among brands flocking to Canton Road in ‘iconic’ TST

Tsim Sha Tsui’s Canton Road has been showing signs of recovery, with Chinese and western brands choosing the district for flagship stores or the expansion of their current foot print despite the continued absence of tourists.

6 Sep 2022 - 8:13PMvideocam

Harbour City on Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Hong Kong’s largest shopping centre is set to open about 100 new stores. Photo: Handout

Coffee

Li Ning to register ‘Ning Coffee’, but can it take on Starbucks, Luckin?

Hong Kong-listed Chinese sportswear brand Li Ning wants to improve customers’ shopping experience by selling coffee at its mainland stores, and has applied to register the “Ning Coffee” trademark.

11 May 2022 - 3:03PM

Ning Coffee is an ‘innovative attempt by Li Ning to focus on the consumer experience on the retail end’, the company says. Photo: Handout

China manufacturing

K-Swiss owner Xtep bets on tightened purse strings to boost sales

Xtep plans to expand in China’s lower-tier cities to entice budget consumers with low-priced running shoes, as consumers become more health conscious.

11 Apr 2022 - 10:00AMvideocam

Retailing

Li Ning reports jump in profit, says Covid-19 was limiting growth

The company reported an almost 1.4 times jump in net profit to 4.01 billion yuan (US$630.63 million) for the year ended 31 December, 2021.

18 Mar 2022 - 5:45PMvideocam

North Korea

Li Ning refutes US claim of using North Korean forced labour

The ban on Li Ning is the latest dust-up between the US and China, as the worst bilateral relations in decades spilled over into punitive actions on companies conducting business between the two economies.

17 Mar 2022 - 4:05PM

Signage of Li Ning Company Limited’s store in Shanghai on Feb. 10, 2022. Photo: Bloomberg

US-China relations

US bans import of all Li-Ning products, citing use of North Korean labour

The Chinese sportswear giant’s supply chain is accused of having North Korean ties, a violation of US sanctions.

16 Mar 2022 - 5:58AMvideocam

149

Li-Ning athletic shoes and other apparel are now banned from being imported into the United States. Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images

Beijing Winter Olympics 2022

Eileen Gu’s Olympic glory gives China’s winter sports scene a massive boost

Chinese companies are seeking to capitalise on Eileen Gu’s freestyle skiing exploits at the Winter Olympics. As many as 346 million people have taken to the slopes and skating rinks, surpassing President Xi’s target.

18 Apr 2022 - 5:20PMvideocam

Beijing Winter Olympics 2022

Which unknown or household brands are riding on Eileen Gu’s fame?

The Winter Olympics has catapulted dozens of Chinese brands into the limelight, giving them unprecedented airtime to showcase their stuff on the world stage.

18 Apr 2022 - 5:20PMvideocam

HKEX

Li Ning seeks US$1.3 billion to fund overseas plans as sales at home slow

China’s biggest sportswear maker to issue 120 million new shares at HK$87.50 each in a top-up stock issue to major shareholder Viva China.

28 Oct 2021 - 10:27PMvideocam

People walk past a Li-Ning store in Beijing. Photo: AFP

Banking & finance

Hang Seng Index compiler avoids Big Tech in quarterly benchmark revamp

The third-quarter review broadens Hang Seng’s coverage to 60 from the current 58. The index is the world’s third-biggest decliner this year having fallen 9.5 per cent so far.

20 Aug 2021 - 10:06PM

Xinjiang cotton

Li-Ning says China growth will help it take on global names

The company will seize new opportunities to expand and ‘develop its brand from a Chinese brand to an internationally recognised top-class global, fashionable and professional sports brand’, former Olympian Li Ning says.

13 Aug 2021 - 9:17PMvideocam

China economy

Can Chinese brands now hold their own against the global heavyweights?

Domestic brands in China like Li-Ning and Anta have enjoyed recent surge, fuelled by rising nationalism, improvements in quality and a multimillion dollar live commerce sector.

28 Jul 2021 - 11:03PMvideocam

Consumers

Chinese nationalism, Lei Jun endorsement boost sales of sportswear firm

Chinese consumers emptied inventories of Hongxing Erke after its donations in cash and goods to Henan flood victims, while crashing the firm’s online delivery systems.

27 Jul 2021 - 7:30AM

Sales of Erke sportswear soared 52 times to around 6.3 million yuan on an e-commerce platform managed by JD.com on Friday. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Tokyo 2020: India drops Chinese brand Li-Ning after public backlash

New Li-Ning kit for Tokyo Games was revealed earlier in June before outcry from public forced U-turn; Chinese foreign ministry asks India to ‘avoid politicising the issue’.

11 Jun 2021 - 3:41PM

Xinjiang cotton

Chinese sportswear maker’s shares surge as Xinjiang cotton row drives sales

Li Ning saw its sales on Tmall jump 419 per cent during the Labour Day holiday period, as Chinese consumers boycott Western brands that have raised concerns over the alleged use of forced labour.

7 May 2021 - 10:04PMvideocam

Xinjiang

Xinjiang cotton controversy creates boom for Chinese premier sneaker scalpers

The top sneaker resale market in China turned to domestic brands Li-Ning and Anta after international footwear companies expressed concern over allegations of forced labour in Xinjiang.

6 Apr 2021 - 11:01PMvideocam

Limited edition sneakers from Chinese brands Li-Na and Anta are at the centre of price speculation. Illustration: Tom Leung

Retailing

Li Ning bucks retail decline, posts better-than-expected net profit for 2020

Chinese sportswear brand Li Ning said on Friday its net profit rose by 13.3 per cent to 1.7 billion yuan (US$261.3 million) last year

19 Mar 2021 - 4:30PM

A Li Ning store in Shanghai. Fewer outlets and shops were selling Li Ning’s products as of the end of 2020. Photo: Bloomberg

Retailing

‘Don’t expect to become the next Uniqlo’ without China plans, Bossini says

Hong Kong apparel manufacturers can either remain as local icons or build partnerships in mainland China as a springboard to global markets, says Bosco Law, who is working with Li Ning to restructure the ailing Bossini group.

4 Oct 2020 - 10:33PMvideocam

Hong Kong company reporting season

Li Ning warns of uncertainty even as first-half profit beats estimates

Li Ning’s first-half profit decreased 14 per cent to 683.3 million yuan (US$98 million), beating consensus estimates of a 28 per cent decline

14 Aug 2020 - 4:24PM

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