MV Agusta to be sold off as KTM’s financial turmoil brings investigation

KTM’s majority 50.1% stake in MV Agusta is being sold by the administrator as an investigation is being launched into the Pierer Mobility Group by the Financial Market Authority.

The Austrian brand is in the midst of a major financial crisis that has seen it enter into self-administration in order to stave off bankruptcy.

In recent weeks, KTM has laid off hundreds of staff members - with more redundancies expected - as its workers will not be paid over Christmas.

Rumours had also emerged recently that KTM’s majority stake in MV Agusta - with the Austrian manufacturer first buying shares in the Italian brand in 2022 - could be sold off.

According to an announcement in a regional Austrian court this week, that will now come to pass as the administrator looks to offload PMG’s 50.1% majority stake in MV Agusta.

MV Agusta has been hit by the same overproduction woes as KTM, with Autosport reporting that 2000 units from the brand are sat unsold in a warehouse in Austria, while staff in Italy have agreed to pay cuts.

Around this, KTM is facing an investigation from Austria’s Financial Market Authority on whether or not PMG complied with disclosure regulations.

According to a report from the Austrian Press Agency, the investigation will centre on the time from May to November when PMG’s business forecasts were adjusted and its management was shaken up.

Earlier this year, KTM’s board of directors was cut from six to two as the scale of the brand’s financial woes had yet to be fully revealed.

A meeting of the creditors will take place on Friday, in which it will be determined if KTM can continue operation.

KTM has kept quiet of late on how this situation will affect its MotoGP programme, though numerous figures said in November that 2025 will carry on as planned.

However, this was then followed up by media rumours of a development pause - though KTM did take part in a private test last week with Pol Espargaro and Dani Pedrosa at Jerez.

KTM’s financial issues have impacted its other grand prix activities, though, with the GASGAS and Husqvarna brands vanishing from the Moto2 and Moto3 grids for 2025.

The Tech3 MotoGP squad, which previously ran under the GASGAS banner in 2023 and 2024, will be rebranded as KTM again in 2025.