VW considers Ducati sale as investor interest builds

Volkswagen AG’s Ducati has drawn multiple approaches from investors as its German parent considers whether to sell the Italian motorcycle maker, according to CEO Claudio Domenicali. Ducati is “a very nice asset” attracting “worldwide interest,” Domenicali said in an interview at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. He declined to identify prospective buyers or say whether overtures had come from motorcycle groups or financial investors. Volkswagen is restructuring to slim its sprawling portfolio and lift profitability. Ducati, acquired by Audi in 2012, is one brand that could be jettisoned even though the motorcycle maker is among the group’s most prestigious assets, helped by its success in top-level motorcycle racing. Its 5.6% operating margin last year fell short of CEO Oliver Blume’s 9% group target for 2030. The Bologna-based company, known for “superbikes” like the Panigale, may be worth about 1.25 billion euros ($1.4 billion), based on peers’ valuations, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Michael Dean. Domenicali argued that there is little reason for VW to rush a sale as Ducati is self-financing and working through a development plan that should increase its value. “The more they wait, the more they will get an increase in the value of the company,” he said. Ducati isn’t “bleeding money” and isn’t a pressing problem for the group, he added. Still, Domenicali acknowledged that VW’s broader pressures could eventually trigger a decision. “Sometimes you are forced to do even things that you would not want to do,” he said, citing the need for companies to become more focused in the current economic environment. Bob…

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