Mattel Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:MAT)

Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Investors bought 7,239 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 145% compared to the average daily volume of 2,953 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MAT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Roth Capital reduced their price objective on Mattel from $16.00 to $15.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Mattel in a research note on Thursday. Argus reissued a “buy” rating and set a $22.00 price target on shares of Mattel in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Odeon Capital Group started coverage on Mattel in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Mattel from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $15.00 to $12.00 in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $17.80.

More Mattel News

Here are the key news stories impacting Mattel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Authentic Brands Group is reportedly in private discussions about acquiring Mattel in a transaction that could value the company at approximately $6 billion or more. The implied valuation is above Mattel’s current market capitalization, raising expectations of a potential takeover premium. The reports have driven significant buying interest and triggered temporary volatility-related trading halts. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Retail traders are reportedly speculating that MAT could trade above $20 if a formal bid emerges, supporting short-term momentum around the potential deal. However, no definitive agreement has been announced. Yahoo Finance article
• Neutral Sentiment: Mattel appointed former Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch as chairman and CEO, succeeding Ynon Kreiz. Lynch’s media and consumer-brand experience could support Mattel’s licensing and entertainment strategy, but the abrupt transition creates execution uncertainty. Pulse2 article
• Neutral Sentiment: Kreiz is departing to become a senior executive, reportedly co-CEO, of the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery. His exit removes the leader associated with Mattel’s recent brand and entertainment expansion, while the new role could potentially create future media partnerships. Wall Street Journal article
• Negative Sentiment: The CEO change comes amid reports of deteriorating Barbie sales and broader challenges turning Mattel’s brands into sustained entertainment franchises. Those operating concerns could weigh on the company’s standalone valuation and complicate any takeover negotiations. New York Post article

Mattel Stock Performance

Mattel stock traded down $0.32 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $14.72. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 7,595,171 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,900,539. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.26. The company has a market cap of $4.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.76, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.70. Mattel has a 1-year low of $12.40 and a 1-year high of $22.48. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $14.33 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.44.

Mattel (NASDAQ:MAT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.04 by ($0.03). Mattel had a return on equity of 16.20% and a net margin of 7.79%.The business had revenue of $1.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.19 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. Mattel has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.270-1.390 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Mattel will post 1.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Mattel

In related news, EVP Roberto Isaias sold 39,083 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.02, for a total value of $587,026.66. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 144,390 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,168,737.80. This represents a 21.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mattel

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAT. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in Mattel by 107.3% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 2,159,405 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,376,000 after purchasing an additional 1,117,726 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Mattel in the 2nd quarter valued at $363,273,000. Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mattel in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,147,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Mattel by 14.6% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,914,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,823,000 after purchasing an additional 244,094 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Mattel in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,178,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.15% of the company’s stock.

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc (NASDAQ:MAT) is a global toy and entertainment company that designs, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of toys, games and related consumer products. Its brands include Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, Matchbox, UNO, MEGA, Masters of the Universe and Magic 8 Ball.

The company develops products across categories such as dolls, vehicles, preschool toys, building sets, games and outdoor play. Mattel also extends its brands through entertainment content, digital gaming, consumer products, live experiences and licensing partnerships.

Founded in 1945, Mattel serves consumers in markets around the world through retail, e-commerce and other distribution channels.