JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ:JAKK) Raised to "Strong-Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded JAKKS Pacific from “buy” to “strong-buy,” although the broader analyst consensus remains “hold,” with two analysts currently assigning that rating.
• JAKK shares were up 1.5% at $25.48, near their 52-week high of $27.22. The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.25, beating the consensus estimate of a $0.06 loss, while revenue also exceeded expectations.
• Institutional interest increased, with several hedge funds—including AQR Capital Management and HSBC—raising their positions. Hedge funds and other institutional investors collectively own 44.38% of the company.

JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ:JAKK - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Sunday.

Several other analysts have also commented on JAKK. Zacks Research raised shares of JAKKS Pacific from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings raised JAKKS Pacific from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold".

JAKKS Pacific Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of JAKK opened at $25.48 on Friday. JAKKS Pacific has a 52-week low of $14.86 and a 52-week high of $27.22. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $24.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $22.07. The company has a market capitalization of $291.49 million, a PE ratio of 18.33 and a beta of 1.41.

JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ:JAKK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.06) by $0.31. JAKKS Pacific had a net margin of 2.77% and a return on equity of 4.33%. The firm had revenue of $139.24 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $123.01 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that JAKKS Pacific will post 1.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On JAKKS Pacific

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in JAKKS Pacific by 67.9% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 140,666 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,470,000 after purchasing an additional 56,873 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in shares of JAKKS Pacific by 7.1% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 61,228 shares of the company's stock worth $1,510,000 after buying an additional 4,071 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of JAKKS Pacific by 5.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 217,187 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,514,000 after buying an additional 11,469 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of JAKKS Pacific by 16.4% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 46,368 shares of the company's stock valued at $964,000 after buying an additional 6,538 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in shares of JAKKS Pacific by 155.3% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 23,480 shares of the company's stock valued at $489,000 after buying an additional 14,284 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 44.38% of the company's stock.

About JAKKS Pacific

JAKKS Pacific, Inc NASDAQ: JAKK is a Los Angeles–based company that designs, develops and markets a broad range of toys and consumer products. Since its founding in 1995 by industry veteran Jack Friedman, the company has built a diversified portfolio spanning three primary segments: Toys, Consumer Electronics & Seasonal, and Kids Furniture & Accessories. JAKKS Pacific specializes in both licensed and proprietary brands, collaborating with major entertainment and sports licensors to bring popular characters and franchises to market.

The company's Toys segment includes action figures, dolls, role-play items, collectible toys and outdoor activity products.

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