DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Not every version of Barbie was a hit. Check out these flops
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Barbie’s pregnant sidekick, MidgePregnant Midge was featured in Mattel's Happy Family Barbie Collection that also included Alan (pictured here behind the stroller). Fast-forward to 2002, Mattel introduced a pregnant Midge doll, featuring a detachable baby bump with a toy baby inside. The Midge doll created ripples. Walmart (WMT) ended up pulling the pregnant Midge doll from its store shelves, citing customer complaints about the appropriateness of a “pregnant” doll. When the FBI came after this BarbieVideo Barbie doll with a built-in LCD screen and download port for videos.

Persons: New York CNN —, Barbie, She’s, who’ve, Barbie Fashionistas, “ Barbie, ”, James Zahn, “ There’s, Midge, Alan, Lawrence Lucier, Zahn, Allan, Ryan, “ Allan ”, “ Allan didn’t, Mattel, “ Alan ”, Tanner, Barbie’s, Mark Ralston, Tanner playset, Tanner playsets, Barbie Mattel, Martin James Brannan, Skipper, Skipper ”, “, Miguel Villagran, Barbie Mark Lennihan, Richard Gottlieb Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bel Air, Mattel, Walmart, “, US Consumer Product Safety Commission, OREO, Nabisco, Fairfax Media, FBI, Global Toy Experts, New York Times Magazine Locations: New York, American, Barbie, AFP

Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq (.IXIC) lagged in the previous session as earnings reports from Tesla (TSLA.O) and Netflix (NFLX.O) failed to dazzle. The megacap electric automaker recovered 1.1% in premarket trading on Friday, while the streaming video company edged higher. The NYSE FANG+TM index (.NYFANG) that houses the megacap growth names also closed 4.6% lower in the previous session, notching its worst day so far in 2023. ET, Dow e-minis were up 13 points, or 0.04%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 11 points, or 0.24%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 73.75 points, or 0.47%. Reporting by Bansari Mayur Kamdar and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Johnson, Powell, David Mericle, Goldman Sachs, Toymaker Mattel's, Morgan Stanley, Bansari Mayur Kamdar, Johann M, Shinjini Organizations: Mattel, Dow, Nasdaq, Johnson, Tesla, Netflix, NYSE, Dow e, American Express, Investors, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Barbie is everywhere this summer. Here are the stocks that can benefit from the highly anticipated film
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

But can the same be said for Mattel shares? Mattel stock is up more about 19% on a year to date basis after a mixed start to the year. Into the Barbie release, the stock reflects the growing buzz. Mattel shares moved from $17.59 on June 1 to breaking into the $20 range for the first time since February. Though Barbie is not a typical film in the space given its adult audience, Jefferies analyst Andrew Uerkwitz said, it can still help Mattel sales incrementally.

Persons: Gordon Haskett, Don Bilson, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Bilson, Goldman Sachs, Stephen Laszczyk, Davidson, Linda Bolton Weiser, Bolton Weiser, Barbie, Brett Feldman, Jefferies, Andrew Uerkwitz, Roth, David Bellinger, Bellinger, Mario, Morgan Stanley, Benjamin Swinburne, ramped, Oppenheimer, Laszczyk, David Karnovsky, Karnovsky, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Mattel, Warner Bros, Lions, Lions Gate, Hasbro, MAT, Analysts, Universal Pictures, Mario Bros, Hollywood, JPMorgan, CNBC, Alliance, Television Producers, Guild of America Locations: 2H23

☆ Everything's pink: How Barbiecore fashion has fueled a movie's buzz
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

There are Barbie sneakers, Barbie backpacks, Barbie swimsuits, and Barbie hoodies for your dog. A few months later, photos showed Barbie movie star Margot Robbie on set in a hot pink Western jumpsuit. As the style took off, fashion magazines chronicled celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Harry Styles in bright Barbiecore outfits. Barbie-inspired foods include an ice cream flavor and a Barbie burger with pink sauce sold at Burger King in Brazil. Robbie, who rotated through Barbie-inspired looks during the movie's publicity tour, even rolled pink suitcases through the airport in Sydney.

Persons: Mattel Inc's, Barbie, Barbie swimsuits, Barbie hoodies, Richard Dickson, Couture, Valentino, Margot Robbie, Madeline Hirsch, Hirsch, Kim Kardashian, Harry Styles, Kendra Scott, Dreamhouse, Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Ken, Rich Daughtridge, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Tom Cruise's, Filmgoers, Jeff Bock, Bock, Lisa Richwine, Rollo Ross, Sarah Mills, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Mattel, InStyle, Balmain, Old Navy, Microsoft, Burger King, Warner Bros, Malibu, Party, Relations, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, French, Burger, Brazil, Sydney, Barbiecore, Maryland, flamingo, Los Angeles, London

☆ Meet the Mattel CEO who convinced Margot Robbie to become Barbie – and is being played by Will Ferrell in the movie
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He earmarked Margot Robbie to play Barbie, and has driven the group's push to exploit its brands. Ryan Gosling as Ken and Margot Robbie as Barbie in "Barbie." Warner Bros.Self-deprecationAccording to Bloomberg, Mattel gave Warner Bros. and Gerwig huge creative license on the movie – including how Mattel and its bigwigs would be portrayed. Kreiz, with his chiseled jaw, pearly white teeth and broader good looks, might look more like Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, than the ghoulish CEO played by funnyman Will Ferrell. Ferrell is listed only as "Mattel CEO" in the film's credits, adding an element of ambiguity.

Persons: Barbie, Margot Robbie, Will Ferrell, Ryan Gosling rollerblading, Ken, Kreiz, Barbie's, He's, Greta Gerwig's, Robbie, Mattel, Greta Gerwig, Ryan Gosling, funnyman Will Ferrell, Ferrell, Oscar, Daniel Kaluuya, Barney, Lena Dunham, helming, Lily Collins, It's, Polly Pocket, David Zalubowski, Kreiz – Organizations: Mattel, Bloomberg, Service, Maker Studios, Disney, Endemol Group, Brother, Fox Kids Europe, London's, Warner Bros, MGM, Arch, Hasbro Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Barbiecore Is Surging Its Way into Home Décor and Interior Design
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Lia Picard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hot pink made waves when Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli released her own iteration, called “Shocking pink,” in the mid-1930s. The original Barbie doll didn’t even wear pink when it first debuted in 1959, wearing, instead, a black and white chevron bathing suit. Barbie’s pink shades evolved over the years, and in 2008 the vibrant “Barbie Pink” became an official Pantone color. Gifty Walker, Joybird’s director of merchandising and sourcing in Los Angeles, noted that Joybird had a hot pink couch that was popular in 2016. Now hot pink is back and customers are using it to eschew traditional neutrals like grays, browns, and tans.

Persons: wasn’t, Elsa Schiaparelli, Barbie, ”, Kim Culmone, Pink ”, Barbie Dreamhouse, Gifty Walker, Joybird, Walker Organizations: Mattel Locations: Los Angeles

☆ 7.5 Million Baby Shark Bath Toys Are Recalled After Reports of Children Being Injured
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Rebecca Carballo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

About 7.5 million Baby Shark bath toys are being recalled after reports that at least a dozen children were injured by them, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday. The top fins on the shark toys pose a risk of “impalement, lacerations and punctures,” the commission said. About nine of the 12 reported injuries required medical attention or stitches, according to the federal agency. The commission and Zuru urged customers to stop using the recalled toys. The toymaker said in a statement that it was working with retail partners to “remove and destroy” the products.

Persons: toymaker Organizations: U.S . Consumer Product Safety Locations: U.S, El Segundo, Calif

☆ Barbie, Her House and the American Dream
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Anna Kodé | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Barbie, Her House and the American Dream Take a stop-motion journey with the young, single homeowner of the Dreamhouse. Today according to Mattel, the toymaker behind the iconic doll, a new Barbie Dreamhouse is sold every two minutes. A vintage Barbie doll puts a record on, dances and sits down. He came to Barbie’s house.”Now, Ms. Dalsing lives in Saint Joseph, Mo., in what she called her own dream house. “In the early 2000s, single women were the fastest growing group of home buyers in the United States,” she said.

Persons: Ken isn’t, Barbara Millicent Roberts, Roberts —, Barbie, ” Ruth Handler, Ken, Handler’s, —, Barbie’s Dreamhouse, ”, Deborah Dinner, wasn’t, weren’t, Barbie’s, Felix Burrichter, “ Barbie Dreamhouse, ” Barbie’s, Sue Dalsing, Dalsing, “ Ken didn’t, “, ” It’s, Elliot Handler, Handler, Lisa McKnight, Mattel’s Barbie, Hugh Hefner’s, Helen Gurley Brown’s, ’, Brown’s, Brown, Young, Tiffany, Barbie —, Houseplants, Burrichter, might’ve, Maddie Bone, Bone, Homer, …, Ms, Amy Castro, ” Ms, Castro, Isabelle Roy, ‘, Roy, He’s, Barbie couldn’t, Christie, Kim Culmone, Catherine E, McKinley, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Greenwood, Spencer, It’s Organizations: Mattel, New York Times, “, Cornell University, Survey, Wisconsin ., Furniture, The Times, Spice, University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Locations: crave, Britain, Saint Joseph, Mo, Barbie’s, Wisconsin, Levittown, Waldoboro, United States, Canadian, Alberta, Palm Springs

☆ AI-powered teddy bears could read personalized bedtime stories to kids within 5 years, the boss of a major toy producer said
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A major toymaker said that AI teddy bears could read personalized bedtime stories to kids by 2028. AI experts have recently been sounding the alarm about the dangers around AI including privacy. AI teddy bears that read bedtime stories to your children and teach them values could become a norm by 2028, according to a major toymaker. Wong pointed out that smart toys including teddy bears could use "AI to generate stories customized for the kid rather than reading from a book," because they will have access to personal information about the child. can actually talk to the toy, and the toy can actually give [them] a response," he added.

Persons: Allan Wong, —, Wong, VTech, Twitter Elon Musk, Kamala Harris Organizations: Financial Times, VTech Holdings, Twitter, Fox, Google, Microsoft, White House

☆ Enad Global 7 stock jumps after US activist investor pushes for sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, May 22 (Reuters) - Enad Global 7 AB's (EG7.ST) stock price jumped 5% on Monday after U.S. activist investor Alta Fox urged the Swedish video game company to explore strategic options, including a possible sale. "EG7 is a high-quality business that remains dramatically undervalued due to no fault of current leadership," Alta Fox's managing partner Connor Haley wrote. Previous management's missteps and the fact that it is not well known outside of Sweden are hurting the company, the letter said. The hedge fund suggested the company, whose stock is listed in Sweden, should relist in the United States in order to buy back shares. ($1 = 10.56 Swedish crowns)Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ How TikTok sensation Squishmallows found Warren Buffett
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

May 13 (Reuters) - Squishmallows joined Warren Buffett's business empire two years after Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and others helped make the plush stuffed toys a viral sensation on TikTok. They married in 1993 and embarked on law careers, but Judd Zebersky soon realized that wasn't his destiny. Laura Zebersky, a litigator, sold her practice in 2005 and joined him, becoming Jazwares' president. "This was a brand that needed a lot of love," Judd Zebersky said. "Greg is exactly what we have all learned about the Berkshire model," Laura Zebersky said.

☆ Popular board games, like Scrabble, get tweaked for elderly players
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Tweaks to the board games feature several age-inclusive components, said Ted Fisher, co-founder and CEO of Ageless Innovation, which specializes in developing toys for elderly consumers. Ageless InnovationThe new Scrabble Bingo 3-1 edition (priced at $40) has three games — the classic word game of Scrabble, Scrabble Bingo and Scrabble Pass. Foster said Hasbro reached out last year with the idea to adapt the three board games. Toy industry expert Jim Silver said age-inclusive Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit and The Game of Life games make sense. I’m interested to see if Hasbro adds other board games, like Monopoly, to this effort,” he said.

This week marked halfway point of the earnings season, with 50% of S & P 500 companies having now posted their quarterly results. The S & P 500 is up about 0.7% week to date through Friday afternoon trading. Here are of the stocks that saw the largest gains this week, and where analysts see them going forward. Almost 70% of analysts covering Hasbro are bullish on shares, according to FactSet dating. Meta shares rose 11.5% this week after the company reported its first sales increase in four quarters, as well as higher-than-expected quarterly earnings.

☆ Hasbro, Mattel shares rise as toymakers announce multiyear licensing agreement, increased IP focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Natasha Piñon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Barbie maker Mattel posted first-quarter results after markets closed on Wednesday that beat revenue expectations but fell short of expectations on the bottom line. Other toy stocks, including Hasbro competitor Mattel and pop culture consumer company Funko , also jumped on Thursday. Toymaker stocks rallied Thursday after rivals Hasbro and Mattel posted quarterly results and offered optimistic comments about how their intellectual property will boost their businesses. Amid the challenging toy and game market, both Hasbro and Mattel are eyeing a future increasingly focused on intellectual property. Hasbro's "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" from Paramount is slated for a June 9 release, while Mattel's much-hyped "Barbie" movie from Warner Bros. is scheduled for a July 21 release.

☆ Morningstar's chief U.S. market strategist shares his outlook for the economy and ways to play the market turbulence ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But even in a turbulent environment, there are value opportunities for investors who look carefully, according to Dave Sekera, Morningstar's chief U.S. market strategist. "We think the stock market is undervalued," Sekera told CNBC during an interview at the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago. "However, I'd say at this point, the easy returns have already been made thus far this year, and I do see a rough road ahead for the next couple of quarters for the stock market in general." For regional bank stocks, Morningstar expects earnings to slowly decline through 2023. Today, Morningstar views many of those names, in areas such as energy, healthcare and consumer defensives, as fully valued.

April 26 (Reuters) - Mattel Inc (MAT.O) reported a bigger-than-expected loss for the first quarter on Wednesday as the toymaker grappled with higher costs and retailers cutting back on orders. "Retailers are working through this inventory and expect that to be corrected by the end of the first half." Price increases have also discouraged consumers from spending more on its products, leading to a 21% drop in net sales for Mattel to $815 million after adjusting for currency fluctuations. Worldwide gross billings for Barbie, which represents amounts invoiced to customers, fell 41%, while Hot Wheels' billings rose only 1%. The company, however, stuck to its full-year net sales and adjusted profit forecasts and said it expects inflation to moderate in 2023.

[1/6] Takeshi Hakamada, "ispace" 's founder and chief executive, is pictured at a venue to watch landing of the lander in HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program on the Moon, in Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, April 25 (Reuters) - Japanese startup ispace (9348.T) said its attempt to make the first private moon landing had failed on Tuesday after losing contact with its Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) lander, concluding it had most likely crashed on the lunar surface. The M1 lander appeared set to autonomously touch down about 12:40 p.m. Eastern time (1640 GMT Tuesday) after coming as close as 295 feet (90 meters) from the lunar surface, a live animation of the lander's telemetry showed. The company said in a statement Wednesday in Japan that it believes the spacecraft may have made a "hard landing" on the lunar surface. The M1 also carried an experimental solid-state battery made by NGK Spark Plug Co (5334.T), among other objects to gauge how they perform on the moon.

April 12 (Reuters) - Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG.N) said on Wednesday Chief Financial Officer Gina Goetter was leaving the company at the end of April, and toymaker Hasbro Inc (HAS.O) said she would take over as its finance chief. Harley issued a statement saying that Vice President, Treasurer David Viney will serve as interim CFO after Goetter's departure on April 28. Shares of the company were down 2.8% in extended trading after falling more than 6% on Wednesday. After cutting hundreds of jobs in 2020, Harley has either beaten or met Wall Street earnings forecasts in recent years, while navigating high inflation and supply chain constraints. Hasbro said Goetter will assume the role as CFO on May 18, succeeding Deborah Thomas at the company that makes Transformers action figures.

☆ Buy these stocks with fortress balance sheets to win in the slowing economy, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Companies with strong balance sheets have a downside cushion and can find unique opportunities during a slowing economy, according to Morgan Stanley. Corporations with high amounts of cash on their balance sheets can take advantage of a slowing economy by buying back their stock or acquiring businesses at discounted prices, said Morgan Stanley strategist Todd Castagno. "We've identified companies with strong balance sheets and sufficient liquidity, that also generate excess returns over their cost of capital," Castagno said in a note to clients. Investors have been increasingly focused on the strength of corporate balance sheets amid rising concerns that the Federal Reserve's series of interest rate hikes could tip the U.S. economy into a slowdown or recession. Castagno screened the Russell 1000 , except for financials, real estate and utilities, to find companies with fortress-like balance sheets.

☆ These are analysts' favorite S&P 500 stocks as the second quarter kicks off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wall Street has some favorite stocks in mind as the second quarter kicks into full swing. The S & P 500 ended the shortened trading week — the first of the new quarter — down 0.1% . As investors position themselves in the early innings of the quarter, CNBC Pro found the most liked S & P 500 stocks on Wall Street. Around seven out of 10 analysts rate the stock a buy, with the average price target implying a nearly 34% upside. Hasbro shares are down nearly 15% in 2023.

☆ Lego looks to build on 2022 sales growth with more China stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COPENHAGEN, March 7 (Reuters) - Toymaker Lego said store openings in China and strong demand in Western Europe and the Americas had delivered 17% sales growth in 2022, adding that it expects to outpace the market this year. Lego plans to open another 145 stores this year, mostly in China, which Christiansen said in an interview he expects will help it to grow sales by a high single-digit percentage. "After a few extraordinary years we may see a return to more normal growth," Christiansen said. "High growth in sales has helped us compensate for those extra costs on freight, energy and raw materials," he said. As part of its strategy of placing production close to its key markets, Lego plans to begin operating new factories in Vietnam and Virginia, U.S. in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

☆ Lego sales leap 17% as fans buy bigger, more complicated sets
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Lego sales are building on pandemic-era growth, boosted by a diverse slate of products that cater to kids and adults alike. Another factor in offsetting those costs was strong demand for Lego's eclectic selection of building sets, CEO Niels Christiansen told CNBC. "It's not price increases driving it, if anything it's people buying some of the bigger and more complicated sets. Around 48% of Lego's 2022 portfolio was in the new product category, he said. While it doesn't share the percentage breakdown between digital and in-store sales, Christiansen said Lego is seeing "good traction" online and its brick and mortar sales continue to fuel its confidence in opening new stores.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Twilio, Tripadvisor, Boston Beer, Roku and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Twilio — Shares jumped 19% after Twilio beat revenue expectations in its most recent quarter. Otherwise, Shopify beat expectations on the top and bottom lines. The digital communications stock reported earnings of 88 cents per share on revenue of $13.59 billion. Hasbro — Hasbro rose more than 2% after the toymaker beat earnings per share expectations. Otherwise, the firm beat earnings expectations in its latest quarter, while revenue came in line with estimates.

☆ Hasbro keeps expectations low for the start of 2023, but sees turnaround coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Hasbro said it expects revenue for the year to decline in the low-single digits, percentage-wise, which missed Wall Street's expectations. But despite its confidence, the company underperformed in consumer product sales for its fourth quarter. The company announced on Thursday that Magic: The Gathering is on track to be its first billion-dollar brand. Pandemic disruption to its film productions also meant delaying a key revenue stream that had helped buoy sagging product sales. This is the first full quarter since Hasbro announced its three-year turnaround plan in October.

☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Shake Shack, Virgin Galactic, Paramount and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were expecting earnings of 23 cents per share on $8.16 billion of revenue. Excluding items, it earned 88 cents per share, slightly above the Refinitiv estimate of 86 cents per share. Cisco also beat revenue expectations. Twilio — The communications tools maker rose nearly 9% after reporting revenue of $1.02 billion, above the $1 billion analyst polled by Refinitiv expected. West Pharmaceutical Services — The drug and health-care products manufacturer gained 5.3% after reporting a fourth-quarter earnings and revenue beat.

Search resuls for: "toymaker"

25 mentions found