Shares of Finnish sportswear company Amer Sports, Inc. (AS), the maker of Wilson tennis rackets and pickleball equipment, garnered significant attention from investors and analysts after it started trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Feb. 1.
The growing popularity of pickleball, an innovative fusion of ping-pong, tennis, and badminton, has brought new interest to Amer Sports. It has been the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for three consecutive years. Participation in the game surged from 4.8 million players in 2022 to 8.9 million in 2023, and is forecast to exceed 20 million this year. Amer Sports’ Wilson brand has jumped onto this thriving trend by offering pickleball-specific paddles, athletic wear collections, bags, and shoes.
