Christie's and Sotheby's H1 2026 Results: Trophy Lots and Luxury Sales Drive Rebound
In the first half of 2026, both Christie's and Sotheby's reported impressive financial results, fueled by high-end collections and luxury items. Christie's achieved $4.5 billion in revenue, with public auction sales soaring 71% to $3.5 billion and an impressive 91% sell-through rate. Private sales surpassed $1 billion. Meanwhile, Sotheby's public auction sales reached $3.4 billion, marking a 59% increase, with a total turnover of $4.4 billion, up 58%, including a record $826 million in private sales. Notably, Christie's sold the S.I. Newhouse collection for $630.8 million, featuring Jackson Pollock's Number 7A at $181.2 million. Christie's CEO Bonnie Brennan anticipates ongoing strength but warns of potential unpredictability in 2027.
Key facts
- Christie's H1 2026 revenue: $4.5bn, public auction sales up 71% to $3.5bn
- Sotheby's H1 2026 total turnover: $4.4bn (up 58%), an all-time high
- Christie's sold S.I. Newhouse collection for $630.8m in New York
- Top works: Pollock's Number 7A ($181.2m), Brancusi's Danaïde ($107.6m), Rothko's No. 15 ($98.4m)
- Sotheby's Lewis collection in London: $406.2m, European record for Impressionist, Modern and contemporary art
- Luxury sales at Christie's: $539m (up 15%); Sotheby's luxury division had record H1
- Sotheby's completed $900m securitization (ArtFi Master Trust 2026-1) and $825m bond issuance
- 47% of Christie's new clients are Millennial or Gen Z; 85% of bids came online
Entities
Artists
- Jackson Pollock
- Constantin Brancusi
- Mark Rothko
- Claude Monet
- F.P. Journe
- Simon Brette
- Rexhep Rexhepi
- Agnes Gund
- Constantin Brâncuși
- Pablo Picasso
- Henri Matisse
- Kazimir Malevich
- Pierre Soulages
- Giacometti
Institutions
- Christie's
- Sotheby's
- ArtTactic
- Heritage Auctions
- RM Sotheby's
- The Art Newspaper
- Sotheby's Financial
- Sotheby's ArtFi Master Trust
- Artnet News
- Artribune
- Phillips
- Pace
- Lyles & King
- Dépendance
- ARTnews
- Artlyst
Locations
- New York
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Monte Carlo
- Monaco
- Hong Kong
- China
- India
- Rockefeller Center
- New York City
- Brussels
- Belgium
- Europe