Toymaker Hasbro's turnaround efforts buoy quarterly results, shares rise
Corrects James Zahn's designation in paragraph 3 to editor in chief at The Toy Book, not senior editor
Posts smaller-than-expected drop in Q2 sales, beats profit view
Shares jump 7% in early trade
Q2 margins grow, helped by business recovery efforts
Lifts FY24 core profit forecast driven by strong digital gaming
By Savyata Mishra
July 25 (Reuters) -Hasbro HAS.O posted a smaller-than-expected drop in second-quarter sales and beat profit expectations, helped by cost-control measures and steady demand for digital gaming, sending shares of the toymaker up 7% in early trading on Thursday.
The Nerf toy gun maker's turnaround strategy to limit expenses and maintain a tight inventory amid an industrywide slowdown in toy demand has helped its margins grow in the quarter to 21.3%, compared with a 15.6% decline a year earlier.
"Hasbro has made great strides in reducing its inventory...which will lead to cost savings in various ways, including lower production costs, shipping, and storage, and reduced markdowns and close outs," said James Zahn, editor in chief at popular magazine The Toy Book.
The company's move to hive off a chunk of its entertainment asset, eOne, last year to improve focus on toy sales, digital gaming strategy, as well as international publishing deals, has also helped.
It now expects annual core profit to be between $975 million and $1.025 billion, up from its prior forecast of $925 million to $1 billion.
Hasbro is seeing "encouraging" signs of early demand in its toy segment and "retailer support" for the back half of year, which includes the critical holiday shopping season, company executives said on a post-earnings call.
Steady growth in its mobile and video games, including "Monopoly Go!" and "Baldur's Gate 3", led to a 20% jump in quarterly revenue from the company's "Wizards of the Coast" unit.
Total quarterly revenue fell 18% to $995.3 million in the reported quarter, compared with a 22.02% fall estimated by analysts, according to LSEG data.
On an adjusted basis, Hasbro earned $1.22 per share, above estimates of 78 cents.
Barbie maker Mattel MAT.O also topped Wall Street estimates for second-quarter profit, aided by a tight control on costs even as it posted a surprise drop in sales.
Reporting by Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Shinjini Ganguli
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
