Hasbro, Inc. $HAS Shares Bought by Vanguard Group Inc.

Key Points

• Vanguard Group increased its stake in Hasbro to 16,976,679 shares (≈12.10%) after buying 453,038 shares in Q4, valuing its holding at about $1.39 billion and contributing to institutional ownership of ~91.8%.
• Hasbro posted a strong quarter, reporting $1.51 EPS vs. $0.99 expected and revenue of $1.45 billion (up 31.3% YoY), while the stock carries a market cap of $13.57 billion and a negative trailing P/E.
• Wall Street sentiment is broadly positive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target of $113.07, after several firms raised price targets (JPMorgan to $125).

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS - Free Report) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,976,679 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 453,038 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 12.10% of Hasbro worth $1,392,088,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hasbro during the fourth quarter valued at about $317,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in Hasbro by 11.8% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 16,563 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,018,000 after purchasing an additional 1,753 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Hasbro by 95.8% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 13,187 shares of the company's stock valued at $811,000 after purchasing an additional 6,451 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP increased its holdings in Hasbro by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 11,078 shares of the company's stock worth $681,000 after purchasing an additional 3,203 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth purchased a new stake in Hasbro during the 1st quarter worth approximately $292,000. 91.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on HAS. Roth Mkm set a $120.00 target price on Hasbro in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Hasbro from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price target on shares of Hasbro from $118.00 to $115.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Citigroup upped their price objective on Hasbro from $97.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Hasbro from $95.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $113.07.

Hasbro Stock Up 1.9%

HAS stock opened at $95.84 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $13.57 billion, a PE ratio of -40.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.55. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $94.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $87.50. Hasbro, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $60.33 and a fifty-two week high of $106.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.89.

Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.52. Hasbro had a negative net margin of 6.86% and a positive return on equity of 127.21%. The firm had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.26 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. Hasbro's quarterly revenue was up 31.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Hasbro, Inc. will post 5.74 EPS for the current year.

Hasbro Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 18th. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Hasbro's payout ratio is presently -119.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Gina M. Goetter sold 12,429 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.46, for a total value of $1,285,904.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 68,221 shares in the company, valued at $7,058,144.66. This represents a 15.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Tarrant L. Sibley sold 15,148 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.98, for a total transaction of $1,590,237.04. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 50,174 shares in the company, valued at $5,267,266.52. This trade represents a 23.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 413,342 shares of company stock worth $42,241,679 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.85% of the company's stock.

About Hasbro

Hasbro, Inc is a global play and entertainment company, known for designing, manufacturing and marketing a diverse portfolio of toys, games and consumer products. Founded in 1923 as Hassenfeld Brothers and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the company has grown into one of the foremost names in the toy industry, with a presence in retail, digital and entertainment channels worldwide.

The company's brand portfolio features iconic properties such as Monopoly, Play-Doh, Nerf, My Little Pony and Transformers.

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