Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS)

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock investors acquired 2,813 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 84% compared to the typical volume of 1,531 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HAS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Hasbro from $80.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Hasbro from $75.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. DA Davidson raised their price objective on Hasbro from $59.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Hasbro from $76.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on Hasbro from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $80.67.

Hasbro Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ HAS traded up $0.86 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $64.75. 625,999 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,618,514. The firm has a market cap of $9.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -14.15, a PEG ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 0.63. Hasbro has a twelve month low of $45.87 and a twelve month high of $73.46. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $67.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.64.

Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.73 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.45. Hasbro had a negative net margin of 14.83% and a positive return on equity of 47.91%. The business had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.30 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.64 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Hasbro will post 3.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hasbro Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.32%. Hasbro’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -60.34%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hasbro

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HAS. Plato Investment Management Ltd acquired a new stake in Hasbro during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Asset Dedication LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hasbro by 290.1% during the 2nd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 472 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hasbro by 224.8% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 432 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 299 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hasbro during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new position in shares of Hasbro during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.83% of the company’s stock.

About Hasbro

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.