By
Steve Muchoki
April 28th, 2023
Having lost 41% over the past year, HAS stock has also plunged more than 4% in its year-to-date record.
Hasbro Inc (NASDAQ: HAS) is mirroring the same modest approach it employed in 2022 as it gives its 2023 guidance. After the company recorded a strong revenue surge in 2021, it gave a conservative outlook for 2022, stating inflation as a concern. According to chief financial officer Deborah Thomas, the toymaker did not expect the 2021 growth to continue at the same pace in 2022. The CFO predicted a decline or slow growth for the toy-making industry last year. At the same time, the company considered the leadership changes in the previous year’s projection as Chris Cocks got ready to take over from interim CEO Rich Stoddart. Stoddart filled the top position after the demise of Brian Goldner in October 2021. Another reason for the humble 2022 outlook was that Hasbro was considering the negative impact of the pandemic on its film production.
Hasbro Gives Gloomy Projections for Full-Year 2023
Again, Hasbro is being modest with its 2023 guidance. The company is expecting a full-year revenue decline. The company projected the revenue to fall percentage-wise in the low-single digits. Meanwhile, analysts predicted that Hasbro would pop 2.2% in 2023 revenue. Despite the company’s projection, Hasbro is hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel. It is calling for the declines to not last through the entire year. In a call with analysts, the CEO noted his expectations for the full-year performance. Cocks said he expects the continued slow consumer demand through the first quarter of 2023. That means there is hope for sales to rebound in the fourth quarter.
As inflation persists in 2023, Hasbro is exploring ways to continually cater to consumers. The CEO said the company is looking to unveil a new product line between $20 and $30. USB Executive Director Arpiné Kocharyan also confirmed that products in the toy industry below $30 is “performing quite well” while anything priced above is performing quite poorly.
More so, Hasbro hopes to see its new releases covered for the product sales decline it has recorded. Cocks said there are lots of entertainment scheduled to roll out in the second quarter, and they will have “a nice halo effect” on Hasbro in the last two quarters of 2023. For Wizards of the Coast, the CEO looks forward to “an up in Q1, a down Q2, a significant up Q3, and a fair up Q4.”
The toymaker’s stock added 0.07% in the last three months, making its first increase in the last 12 months. Having lost 41% over the past year, HAS has also plunged more than 4% in its year-to-date record.
