Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS) Reaches New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $83.90 and last traded at $84.0650, with a volume of 236089 shares. The stock had previously closed at $82.16.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Hasbro from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Hasbro from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Hasbro in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wolfe Research lifted their price objective on shares of Hasbro from $89.00 to $90.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Hasbro from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hasbro currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $89.33.

Hasbro Stock Up 3.3%

The company’s 50-day moving average is $77.57 and its 200 day moving average is $75.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.91 billion, a PE ratio of -21.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.65.

Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.05. Hasbro had a negative net margin of 12.81% and a positive return on equity of 82.17%. The business had revenue of $1.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.73 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Hasbro, Inc. will post 4.33 EPS for the current year.

Hasbro Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 3rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 19th were paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 19th. Hasbro’s payout ratio is presently -69.83%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Hope F. Cochran sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.24, for a total value of $308,960.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,320,958.48. This represents a 18.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.85% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hasbro

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in Hasbro by 41.0% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,684 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,000 after acquiring an additional 780 shares during the period. Groupama Asset Managment lifted its stake in shares of Hasbro by 32.1% in the 3rd quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 11,146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $845,000 after purchasing an additional 2,708 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Hasbro by 24.7% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 744,270 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,455,000 after purchasing an additional 147,227 shares during the period. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hasbro in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,032,000. Finally, Caerus Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Hasbro during the third quarter worth $304,000. 91.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hasbro Company Profile

Hasbro, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a toy and game company in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Australia, China, and Hong Kong. The company operates through Consumer Products; Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming; Entertainment; and Corporate and Other segments.