Mattel shares fall as investors urge strategic review
路透社2026/10/06 14:46Neil J Kanatt, Reuters, October 6 - On Tuesday, shares of Mattel (MAT.O) dropped about 3% after investor Ariel Investments urged the toy maker to explore strategic options including a sale, merger, or divestiture of key assets. This move increased pressure on Mattel. Last week, the company announced CEO Ynon Kreiz would step down, which has sparked renewed acquisition interest in the company. Details are as follows: Ariel, which holds a 5.4% stake, said in a letter that Mattel’s stock remains significantly undervalued and that its portfolio could be attractive to other toy companies, entertainment firms, or private equity funds. A source told Reuters that last week, Authentic Brands—owner of brands such as Reebok, Brooks Brothers, and Guess—approached Mattel for a potential acquisition, valuing the company at around $6 billions or higher. This is the second time this year that investors have pushed for a strategic review. In May, Southeast Asset Management also urged Mattel to consider options including privatization, a sale to Hasbro (HAS.O), or selling to a media company. Mattel has faced pressures from weakened toy demand and rising tariff-related costs in recent years. The company stated it would "consider the views expressed in Ariel Investments’ letter" while "acting in the best interests of all shareholders." "The debate is increasingly focused on a central issue: are Mattel’s brands worth more inside the company or in someone else’s hands? Investors want evidence showing the company is worth more as a whole than the sum of its parts," said Brian Jacobsen, Chief Economist at Annex Wealth Management. According to data compiled by London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Mattel’s current share price is $15.65 and its forward price-to-earnings ratio is 10.45, compared to Hasbro’s P/E ratio of 14.35. (For the convenience of non-English speakers, Reuters provides automated translations of its reports in several languages. Because automated translations may contain errors or lack the necessary context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated texts and provides them only for readers' convenience. Reuters accepts no responsibility for any damage or loss arising from the use of automated translation features.)
Neil J Kanatt
Reuters, October 6 - On Tuesday, Mattel shares (MAT.O) fell about 3% after investor Ariel Investments urged the toymaker to explore strategic options, including a sale, merger, or divestiture of key assets.
This move increased the pressure on Mattel. Last week, the company announced the departure of CEO Ynon Kreiz (link), and since then (link), the company has attracted fresh acquisition interest.
Further details as follows:
Ariel, holding 5.4% of shares, stated in a letter (link) that Mattel’s shares remain deeply undervalued, and its portfolio may be attractive to other toymakers, entertainment firms, and private equity companies.
A source told Reuters that last week Authentic Brands, which owns labels including Reebok, Brooks Brothers, and Guess, reached out to Mattel regarding a potential takeover (link), with the deal valuing Mattel at about $6 billion or more.
This is the second time investors have called for a strategic review this year. In May, investor Southeastern Asset Management urged the company to evaluate options including taking the company private, selling to Hasbro (HAS.O), or merging with a media company.
Mattel has faced pressures from weak toy demand and rising tariff-related costs in recent years. The company said it would “consider the points raised in the Ariel Investments letter” while “acting in the best interest of all shareholders.”
“The debate is increasingly centered on one core question: are Mattel’s brands worth more inside Mattel, or in someone else’s hands? Investors want proof that the value of the whole company exceeds the sum of its parts,” said Annex Wealth Management chief economist Brian Jacobsen.
According to data compiled by London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Mattel’s current share price is $15.65 with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 10.45, while Hasbro’s P/E ratio is 14.35.
(To accommodate non-native English speakers, Reuters has automatically translated this report into several other languages. Since automated translations may contain errors or lack context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of the automated translation and provides it solely for the convenience of readers. Reuters is not liable for any loss or damage arising from use of this automatic translation.)
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
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