Nov 13, 2017

Hasbro has offered to acquire Mattel

Dan Primack, author of Pro Rata

The 2016 Barbie Fashionistas line is displayed at the New York Fair, Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Photo: Diane Bondareff / AP Images for Mattel

Hasbro (Nasdaq: HAS) has offered to acquire rival toy-maker Mattel (Nasdaq: MAT), as first reported by the WSJ. Mattel closed Friday trading with a market cap just north of $5 billion, but its shares spiked around 25% in aftermarket trading.

This would be a merger of the country's two largest toy-makers. Plus, it may cause major jealousy issues for Ken, as Barbie and GI Joe would be living under the same corporate roof.

Bottom line: These are two companies moving in opposite directions, as Hasbro shares are up around 13% this year while Mattel was off 47% before news of a possible sale. One differentiator for Pawtucket, R.I.-based Hasbro has been its strategy of buying toy rights to popular entertainment franchises like Star Wars.

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 5 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 8:30 p.m. ET: 30,911,999 — Total deaths: 959,059— Total recoveries: 21,147,903 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 8:30p.m. ET: 6,796,384 — Total deaths: 199,474 — Total recoveries: 2,590,671 — Total tests: 95,108,559 — Map.
  3. Politics: Testing czar on Trump's CDC contradictions: "Everybody is right" — Ex-FDA chief: Career scientists won't be "easily cowed" by political vaccine pressure.
  4. Education: What we overlooked in the switch to remote learning.
  5. Health: The dwindling chances of eliminating COVID-19 — 7 states set single-day coronavirus case records last week.
  6. World: England sets £10,000 fine for breaking self-isolation rules — The countries painting their pandemic recoveries green.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer, Jacob Knutson
29 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Arrest over letter to Trump containing poison ricin

President Trump returning to the White House from Minnesota on Sept. 18. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

A suspect was arrested for allegedly "sending a suspicious letter" after law enforcement agents intercepted an envelope addressed to President Trump containing the poison ricin, the FBI confirmed in an emailed statement to Axios Sunday.

Details: The suspect, a woman, was arrested while trying to enter New York from Canada, law enforcement forces said.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Alayna Treene
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump campaign goes all in on Pennsylvania

Trump poster in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Photo: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

The president's campaign is placing more importance on Pennsylvania amid growing concern that his chances of clinching Wisconsin are slipping, Trump campaign sources tell Axios.

Driving the news: Pennsylvania, which has 20 electoral votes, twice Wisconsin's number, actually has been trending higher in recent public and internal polling, a welcome development for the campaign.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow