Hasbro, Inc. $HAS Stake Lessened by Magnetar Financial LLC

Key Points

• Magnetar Financial LLC cut its stake in Hasbro by 58.3% to 38,490 shares (about $2.92M), while large institutions including Bank of America, AQR and Norges Bank added or initiated sizable positions, leaving institutional ownership at 91.83%.
• Company insiders have been net sellers: CEO Christian P. Cocks sold 196,411 shares (~$19.7M) and insiders disposed of 413,342 shares (~$42.2M) in the last 90 days, leaving insider ownership at just 0.85%.
• Hasbro beat estimates with quarterly EPS of $1.51 vs. $0.99 and revenue up 31.3%, spurring analyst target upgrades and a MarketBeat consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with a $113.69 price target.

Magnetar Financial LLC lessened its stake in shares of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS - Free Report) by 58.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 38,490 shares of the company's stock after selling 53,920 shares during the quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC's holdings in Hasbro were worth $2,919,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in Hasbro by 128.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,981,423 shares of the company's stock valued at $220,089,000 after purchasing an additional 1,677,962 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Hasbro during the 2nd quarter valued at $123,710,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Hasbro by 95.7% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,259,812 shares of the company's stock worth $164,831,000 after buying an additional 1,105,004 shares in the last quarter. Mane Global Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Hasbro in the 2nd quarter worth $77,471,000. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC acquired a new stake in shares of Hasbro in the third quarter valued at $30,608,000. Institutional investors own 91.83% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on HAS. UBS Group raised their target price on Hasbro from $99.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Hasbro in a report on Wednesday. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $98.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of Hasbro from $80.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wolfe Research lifted their price objective on shares of Hasbro from $90.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Hasbro in a report on Monday, December 29th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $113.69.

Hasbro News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Hasbro this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/earnings momentum — coverage and commentary highlight Hasbro’s strong results and the success of its shift into digital IP and gaming, supporting a more constructive medium‑term outlook. Hasbro and Whirlpool: Two Iconic American Brands Reinventing Themselves Under Pressure
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamental story — pieces on Hasbro’s evolving strategy point to gaming upside and tariff shifts that could improve margins and revenue mix, reinforcing why earnings beats matter to investors. How The Hasbro (HAS) Story Is Evolving With Gaming Upside And Tariff Shifts
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst initiation — Wells Fargo started coverage with an “equal weight” rating and a $98 price target (≈4% upside vs. current price), which is modestly supportive but not a strong bullish catalyst. Wells Fargo coverage note
• Neutral Sentiment: Product news — new collectible launches (Star Wars: The Black Series additions) keep the core toy/collectible business active but are incremental from a revenue perspective. Maul and the Eleventh Brother join Hasbro’s Star Wars: The Black Series Maul – Shadow Lord collection
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand positioning on AI for D&D — CEO comments that Dungeons & Dragons won’t use AI because the audience doesn’t want it may reassure core fans and protect IP quality, but it’s niche in terms of market impact. We don't use AI for D&D because the audience doesn't want it, says Hasbro CEO
• Negative Sentiment: Conflicting AI messaging — other reports indicate Hasbro uses AI versions of Peppa Pig and Optimus Prime to help design products; the inconsistency with public statements creates potential PR, IP and customer trust risks that could unsettle investors. Hasbro’s CEO has an AI Peppa Pig help design toys
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational risk — a Variety piece on the company’s stance around diversity and questions tied to the Harry Potter franchise/JK Rowling controversy could pressure brand perception and sales in sensitive consumer segments. ‘Harry Potter’ Toy Company CEO Says ‘We Support Diversity’ …

Insider Activity at Hasbro

In other news, CEO Christian P. Cocks sold 196,411 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.33, for a total value of $19,705,915.63. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 303,310 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $30,431,092.30. This represents a 39.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Tarrant L. Sibley sold 15,148 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.98, for a total value of $1,590,237.04. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 50,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,267,266.52. This represents a 23.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 413,342 shares of company stock valued at $42,241,679. 0.85% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hasbro Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of Hasbro stock opened at $94.27 on Thursday. Hasbro, Inc. has a 12-month low of $49.00 and a 12-month high of $106.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.26 billion, a PE ratio of -40.11 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.89. The stock's fifty day moving average is $93.56 and its 200-day moving average is $83.66.

Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company's revenue was up 31.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.46 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Hasbro, Inc. will post 4.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Hasbro Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 18th. Hasbro's payout ratio is currently -119.15%.

Hasbro Company Profile

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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