A top executive of Helly Hansen firmly denied British newspaper reports that it was in final talks for the sale of the company. Since the Norwegian ski, sailing and outdoor brand's performance started improving sharply, Helly Hansen's owner, the Altor private equity fund, has been holding discussions with several interested parties in the last two years, but none of them have reached an advanced stage so far. The Sunday Times reported that Puma and VF Corp. were among the bidders for Helly Hansen, and several financial investors were reported to be in the picture as well. The report further indicated that the offered price would be in the range of £200 million (€239m-$313m), which would be well below the expectations of the current owner, as reported in the Norwegian press a few weeks ago. On the other hand, Puma and its parent company, PPR, are known to be on the lookout for an outdoor brand, possibly with a lifestyle image. An update on Helly Hansen's performance and order book will be shared with readers of SGI Europe and The Compass at Ispo.

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