Cyclical companies look to one specific month or at times one quarter to make the majority of their sales for the entire year. While this can be nerve wracking for management, these time periods tend to see huge volumes, and can be extremely profitable for the company. But when merchants slow their buying trends, the company’s input costs increase, and customers reduce their buying activity, margins and revenues get crushed. This is what happened to Mattel Inc. (MAT - Free Report) , our Zacks Bear of the Day.
This Zacks Ranked #5 (Strong Sell) company designs, manufactures, and markets a broad variety of family products on a worldwide basis through both sales to retailers and direct to consumers. Mattel's business is dependent in great part on its ability each year to redesign, restyle and extend existing core products and product lines, to design and develop innovative new products and product lines, and successfully market those products and product lines.
Recent Earnings Results
On January 25th the company posted Q4 16 earnings results where missed both the Zacks consensus earnings and revenue expectations. The company saw year over year declines in several key areas; worldwide net sales -4%, worldwide gross sales -3%, reported operating income -4%, reported EPS -14.8%, net cash flows from operating activities -19.7%, and gross margins fell by 240 basis points. On a regional view, the company saw year over year declines; net sales North America -2%, net sales International -8%, and gross sales North America -1%, gross sales International -6%.
Management’s Take
According to Christopher Sinclair, Chairman and CEO, “Our results were negatively impacted by a number of industry-wide challenges, including a significant U.S. toy category slowdown in the holiday period, and increased forex headwinds. And while our sales at retail remained strong, the slowdown triggered elevated retail promotional activity and decreased shipping, all of which had a significant impact on our gross margin."
Price and Earnings Consensus Graph
As you can see in the price and earnings estimate graph below, 2017 estimates and current stock price have sharply declined.
Zacks Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.
This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.
Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>
Cyclical companies look to one specific month or at times one quarter to make the majority of their sales for the entire year. While this can be nerve wracking for management, these time periods tend to see huge volumes, and can be extremely profitable for the company. But when merchants slow their buying trends, the company’s input costs increase, and customers reduce their buying activity, margins and revenues get crushed. This is what happened to Mattel Inc. (MAT - Free Report) , our Zacks Bear of the Day.
This Zacks Ranked #5 (Strong Sell) company designs, manufactures, and markets a broad variety of family products on a worldwide basis through both sales to retailers and direct to consumers. Mattel's business is dependent in great part on its ability each year to redesign, restyle and extend existing core products and product lines, to design and develop innovative new products and product lines, and successfully market those products and product lines.
Recent Earnings Results
On January 25th the company posted Q4 16 earnings results where missed both the Zacks consensus earnings and revenue expectations. The company saw year over year declines in several key areas; worldwide net sales -4%, worldwide gross sales -3%, reported operating income -4%, reported EPS -14.8%, net cash flows from operating activities -19.7%, and gross margins fell by 240 basis points. On a regional view, the company saw year over year declines; net sales North America -2%, net sales International -8%, and gross sales North America -1%, gross sales International -6%.
Management’s Take
According to Christopher Sinclair, Chairman and CEO, “Our results were negatively impacted by a number of industry-wide challenges, including a significant U.S. toy category slowdown in the holiday period, and increased forex headwinds. And while our sales at retail remained strong, the slowdown triggered elevated retail promotional activity and decreased shipping, all of which had a significant impact on our gross margin."
Price and Earnings Consensus Graph
As you can see in the price and earnings estimate graph below, 2017 estimates and current stock price have sharply declined.
Zacks Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.
This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.
Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>
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