Latest news with #LordoftheRings
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
HAS Q2 Deep Dive: MAGIC Drives Growth Amid Tariffs and Consumer Product Shifts
Toy and entertainment company Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS) reported Q2 CY2025 results topping the market's revenue expectations , but sales fell by 1.5% year on year to $980.8 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.30 per share was 68.6% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy HAS? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Hasbro (HAS) Q2 CY2025 Highlights: Revenue: $980.8 million vs analyst estimates of $882.1 million (1.5% year-on-year decline, 11.2% beat) Adjusted EPS: $1.30 vs analyst estimates of $0.77 (68.6% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $302 million vs analyst estimates of $227.6 million (30.8% margin, 32.7% beat) EBITDA guidance for the full year is $1.19 billion at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $1.12 billion Operating Margin: -81.4%, down from 21.3% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $10.77 billion StockStory's Take Hasbro's second quarter results reflected meaningful momentum in its Wizards of the Coast business, particularly with the MAGIC: THE GATHERING franchise, which offset softer performance in the consumer products division. While overall sales declined modestly, management cited MAGIC's 23% year-over-year growth and the robust performance of the Final Fantasy set as key drivers. CEO Chris Cocks highlighted, 'Final Fantasy took one day to deliver what Lord of the Rings did in six months,' underscoring the magnitude of demand. Management acknowledged that U.S. consumer product sales were impacted by shifts in retailer ordering patterns and macroeconomic uncertainty, as well as timing issues tied to tariffs. Looking ahead, Hasbro's updated guidance is underpinned by ongoing strength in MAGIC: THE GATHERING, further product releases in the Universes Beyond portfolio, and cost management initiatives to mitigate tariff headwinds. CFO Gina Goetter cautioned that the impact of tariffs would be more pronounced in the second half, stating, 'We haven't seen any of that tariff impact in the P&L quite yet ... that starts to manifest in the back half of the year.' Management also pointed to upcoming launches such as Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender sets, as well as ongoing diversification of the supply chain, as central to sustaining growth and protecting margins. Key Insights from Management's Remarks Management attributed the quarter's outperformance to continued MAGIC: THE GATHERING expansion and effective cost control amid shifting retailer behavior and trade policy uncertainty. MAGIC: THE GATHERING momentum: The franchise delivered its strongest quarter ever, driven by the success of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set, which became the highest-grossing MAGIC release to date. Management noted that community engagement set new records, with MagicCon Las Vegas drawing over 19,000 attendees and organized play up 40% year-over-year. Retailer inventory timing: U.S. consumer product sales declined as retailers delayed holiday inventory purchases and shifted from direct imports to domestic fulfillment, largely due to tariff-related uncertainty. Management expects much of this delayed ordering to recover in the third and fourth quarters as holiday demand builds. Tariff mitigation efforts: Leadership detailed a playbook for managing higher input costs, including cost reductions, supplier diversification, and selective price increases. About 50% of U.S. toy and game volume currently originates from China, but Hasbro aims to reduce this to less than 40% by 2027. Digital and licensing growth: Hasbro's licensing and digital gaming segments continued to outperform, with MONOPOLY GO! hitting new user and revenue milestones. The company also announced a new casino gaming licensing partnership to further diversify high-margin revenue streams. Operational transformation progress: Management highlighted $98 million in gross savings year-to-date from transformation initiatives across supply chain, SG&A, and product development, aiming to reach $175–$225 million in savings for the year. These efforts helped maintain profitability despite headwinds in consumer products. Drivers of Future Performance Hasbro's forward outlook hinges on MAGIC: THE GATHERING expansion, cost control measures, and the ability to navigate tariff-related risks in consumer products. MAGIC product pipeline: Management expects continued growth from upcoming Universes Beyond releases like Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender, as well as further engagement and backlist sales. CEO Chris Cocks emphasized that upcoming collaborations and new player demographics could drive additional expansion in 2026 and beyond. Tariff and supply chain strategies: The company is accelerating supplier diversification and onshoring initiatives to reduce reliance on China and limit tariff exposure. CFO Gina Goetter noted that while current tariff expenses are manageable, rates remain fluid and may impact both costs and pricing strategies through next year. Consumer product recovery: Management anticipates a rebound in consumer product sales in the second half as retailers resume inventory purchases for the holiday season. However, they remain cautious given ongoing retailer conservatism and the potential for further shifts in order patterns. Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters Looking ahead, the StockStory team will be monitoring (1) the pace of MAGIC: THE GATHERING product launches and new player acquisition, (2) progress in reducing supply chain reliance on China and mitigating tariff costs, and (3) signs of recovery in consumer product sales as retailers rebuild inventory for the holiday season. Developments in digital gaming partnerships and the rollout of new Universes Beyond sets will also be key areas of focus. Hasbro currently trades at $76.55, down from $77.61 just before the earnings. Is the company at an inflection point that warrants a buy or sell? The answer lies in our full research report (it's free). Now Could Be The Perfect Time To Invest In These Stocks Trump's April 2024 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines. Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
I dreamed of a lavish wedding and started saving thousands. But I decided to elope and spend the money on my family instead.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Britt Jones. It has been edited for length and clarity. Since I was a little girl, I'd dreamt of my wedding — a beautiful celebration with all of my favorite people in one place. A year after meeting the man who would later become my husband in 2017, we started dreaming together of the type of wedding we wanted. It would have a "hippy" feel, like " Lord of the Rings" — something ethereal, in a forest, with twinkling lights and lace. We couldn't wait to make the dream a reality. Knowing what the celebration would cost, Conor and I started saving up, provisionally planning to have the wedding in the summer of 2025. I found a wedding venue in the forest I loved. It would be over $20,000 for the day as a base rate, plus extras. The dress I had my eye on was a vintage Vera Wang dress with a deep V-neck, fishtail, medium train, and flower lace. We also needed bridesmaids' dresses, suits for the groomsmen, and a wedding cake. We were also looking at a honeymoon in Iceland. It would all be expensive, but we were excited about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate each other with the people we loved. We started to have second thoughts about an expensive wedding We calculated that we'd need to take out a large loan, use thousands of our savings, and pay for things in instalments to afford it all. When we added everything up, I thought about everything we could do with the money if we didn't host such a lavish party. We could put a deposit on a new house, fix up our current home, or buy a new car. We'd also given birth to our son in 2020, and I was pregnant with our daughter. Our priorities had changed since we initially dreamt about our wedding. I questioned whether the money would be better spent on buying what they needed and spoiling them without worrying about money. In September 2021, when COVID still threatened to disrupt our wedding plans, my husband asked if we should elope instead. We had been discussing the wedding less during the pandemic, and we'd recently had a friend elope who loved the experience. The more I thought about elopement, the more I liked the sound of it. It would be much less stressful and easier to plan, and we would save a small fortune. Luckily, we hadn't booked anything yet, making it easier to abandon our wedding plans. Within a few months of planting the idea, we eloped at a registrar's office Our elopement was four years earlier than expected because we wouldn't have to save the large sum needed for a big wedding. On the morning, my friend, who would be one of our witnesses, came to my house to help me get ready. My grandparents came over, too, helping to get the kids ready. Connor went to the venue on the train, and I drove with the kids. My grandparents would have the kids while we were married and meet us afterward. There were no wedding-day jitters, no nerves at all. I wasn't worried about the schedule, drunken drama between guests, or looking a certain way for a photographer. We read our vows to each other, making promises with only two friends present. I misspoke during the vows and didn't feel embarrassed. Finally, we signed our marriage license and sealed the day with a kiss. Afterward, my kids and grandparents met us for informal photos. It was a relaxed day without pressure, hassle, or expectations. We only paid a few hundred dollars for the whole day. As we expected, the money we would have spent on the wedding ended up going on the kids. We could get things like outdoor play equipment and not think twice about paying for it, as the money had already been saved. If I could do it over again, I would have paid extra to allow guests to attend the ceremony at the registry office, because it would have meant a lot to have my parents and grandparents present to celebrate with us. It would still have been chill and cheap, but it would have involved the people we love most. While I would have done the day ever-so-slightly differently, one thing I wouldn't have changed is having a low-key, cheap wedding. It allowed me to enjoy the day, and I married my husband, completely present and stress-free.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Is SA ready to be the next Hollywood? Here's what our stars had to say
The Simon Sabela Awards returned for another night of glitz and glam at the weekend. While everyone was looking for the best outfits of the night, many top awards were dished out to the cast and crews of the past year's top productions produced in KZN. This year's theme called on attendees to have 'giants of storytelling' in mind, and TimesLIVE sought to find out how South Africa could become a giant of TV and filmmaking like our counterparts in Hollywood. Here's what the guests had to say. We have diverse stories that we need to tap into says Ziya Xulu. Image: Thobela Khumalo PORTIA NCWANE We have to keep the original stories and not try to modernise them too much. If we can keep the authenticity we have right now by maintaining our customs and cultures, we will never go wrong. ZIYA XULU The Africans. That sounds so redundant but honestly it's the Africans and the stories we have to tell. We have diverse stories, we have diverse languages, we have diverse ideas and we just need to tap into them. KHAYA DLADLA They must give me more jobs — I'm joking. Nothing is as authentic as telling our own stories. We have to tell our own stories to the world, and we can be epic. JACKIE MOTSEPE We have stories that resonate with our audience. The local content that we produce is the most consumed not only in South Africa but throughout the continent. That in itself makes us a giant, because they are being appreciated by core audiences. Where we need to grow is in making that content commercial so that people in the industry are able to make a living from the work they do to sustain themselves and their families. And that is what we need to get right, because people should get a return on investment from the work they produce. Image: Supplied RETHABILE RAMAPHAKELA The fact that we are able to tell stories already makes us a giant, and they travel globally. My film Disaster Holiday was on the Netflix global top 10 and I would never have expected that. I was making a road trip family film and there it is being enjoyed by the world, but most loved in South Africa. ANGUS GIBSON I think we've got a way to go before we are a giant. I think we are on our way there. We should be making things like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. We shouldn't feel like we can't do that. I think we are on the road and we've got to aim high. MUSA MSELEKU When we entered the television space, I think we influenced that space. Many people who want to leave a mark on TV tend to copy exactly what we have been doing. When we entered that space we changed it. Our champions of storytelling will not only be seen in Africa — they will travel the world. MBUYISELO VILAKAZI First, I see a lot of women getting opportunities and that's a great way of empowering the nation. I like the representation we see from queer filmmakers as well in South Africa. NKANYISO MAKHANYA I think we already are giants. People are telling our own stories in other countries without even asking us about them. It's just that we need a platform to push us further on the global stage. ZAMANTU KHOZA We're always unpredictable. It's something that makes me look forward to seeing African storytelling, from films to TV series. Also, we always have great newcomers. Last year I was a newcomer nominee. It's exciting because we are always making space for new talent to come into the entertainment industry.
Time Out
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Princess Mononoke
Miyazaki was already a culture hero in Japan when this animated mythic adventure raised him to a status approaching living national treasure. The young warrior Ashitaka is infected by poison while saving his village from a demonic giant boar; he rides his elk to the west (where the boar came from) in the hope of finding a cure. He stumbles into a three-way battle between a woman chieftain in a fortified encampment (built to protect the secret of smelting iron from ore), a clan of samurai eager to take control of the iron - and the creatures (chiefly wolves and boars) of the surrounding forest, enraged by all the human damage to their natural habitat. Fighting on the side of the animals is Mononoke, a girl raised by the wolves, who hates and distrusts all humans, including Ashitaka. The samurai are pretty unredeemed, but Miyazaki insists that there are things to be said for both the Iron Age settlers and the animals and their deities: rather than a Lord of the Rings -style showdown between good and evil, this argues for peaceful co-existence. Superbly imagined and visually sumptuous, it's let down only by Hisaishi's sub-Miklos Rosza score. (An uncut English language dub also exists, with dialogue by Neil Gaiman and a voice cast including Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver and Billy Bob Thornton.
Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Actors Who Lost Massive Paychecks By Turning Down Iconic Movie Roles
Hollywood is an unpredictable place; even with the right script and the perfect director, it can be hard to tell which movies will smash the box office and which will be total flops. And so, here are a bunch of actors who, if they could, would probably go back in time and say yes to some very lucrative movie roles they wound up turning down. Sean Connery - The Lord of the Rings If James Bond wasn't enough, Sean Connery nearly found himself at the center of another beloved movie franchise — this time, playing Gandalf in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Studio executive Mark Ordesky said in 2021 that Sean was offered the part of Gandalf (which eventually went to Ian McKellen) but "said no," because "he read the material and just didn't get it." To make matters more painful, a previous report claimed that the late 007 actor was offered 15% of the franchise's box office gross, too... which would've turned out to be a paycheck for an estimated $450 million. Eeeek. Will Smith - The Matrix In 1998, following the release of huge box office hits like Bad Boys, Independence Day, and Men in Black, Will Smith was offered the lead role in The Matrix. As we now know, he turned it down, and the part of Neo went to Keanu Reeves. Years later, Will explained that he passed on the movie because he was unsure about the Wachowskis' pitch for the he made a movie called Wild Wild West, which remains one of the biggest flops of his career, while The Matrix made over $460 million worldwide and sparked a lucrative franchise. Given how big of a movie star Will was in the '90s, it's also possible that the film would've made even more if he'd been in it... Talk about a missed opportunity. Brad Pitt — The Matrix Since we're talking about The Matrix, it's worth mentioning that Brad Pitt turned down the opportunity to play Neo as well. 'I did pass on The Matrix. I took the red pill. That's the only one I'm naming,' he said in 2020 at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. 'I wasn't offered two or three. Only the first one, just to clarify that.'Notably, Brad wasn't willing to divulge any more info about what he may have lost out on, saying: "If I didn't get it, then it wasn't mine." "I really believe [the role] was never mine. It's not mine. It was someone else's, and they go and make it. I really do believe in that," he said. "If we were doing a show on the great movies I've passed on, we would need two nights." Matt Damon - Avatar If there's a man who can own his mistakes, it's Matt Damon. The Good Will Hunting star has made no secret of his regret over turning down an offer to star in James Cameron's Avatar in 2009. "I'm sure it's the most money an actor ever turned down," he told Chris Wallace in 2023, explaining that he couldn't do it because he was "in the middle of shooting the Bourne movie." To add insult to injury, he was offered 10% of the box office, and, considering that Avatar remains the highest-grossing movie of all time, it's fair to say he missed out on quite the payday ($250 million, to be exact). Dougray Scott - X-Men Today, Wolverine is synonymous with Hugh Jackman; however, the Aussie actor wasn't originally who they had in mind to play the iconic role. Filmmaker Bryan Singer initially wanted Russell Crowe to play Wolverine in the 2000 X-Men movie, and when Russell turned it down, he went to Scottish actor Dougray Scott. Dougray actually accepted the offer, but unfortunately, wasn't able to go ahead with the movie due to filming delays on Mission: Impossible. 'Tom Cruise didn't let me do it," Dougray told the Daily Telegraph in 2020. 'We were doing Mission: Impossible, and he was like, 'You've got to stay and finish the film,' and I said, 'I will, but I'll go and do that as well. ' For whatever reason, he said I couldn't." Now, I'm not necessarily one to hold a grudge, but considering Hugh Jackman is now worth a reported $120 million, I could understand being a little pissed. Toshiro Mifune - Star Wars When it comes to lucrative movie franchises, it doesn't really get much bigger than Star Wars. So, just imagine you missed out on an opportunity to be a part of it from the very start. In 2015, the daughter of Toshiro Mifune previously revealed that he father — who starred in iconic movies like Seven Samurai and Rashomon — was approached by George Lucas to appear in the original 1977 Star Wars movie, the one we now know as A New Hope. "He was offered the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, but he was concerned about how the film would look and that it would cheapen the image of samurai, on which George Lucas had based a lot of the character and fighting style,' his daughter, Mika, said. 'At the time, sci-fi movies still looked quite cheap as the effects were not advanced and he had a lot of samurai pride. There was talk about him taking the Darth Vader role as his face would be covered, but in the end he turned that down too.' Tom Selleck - Indiana Jones From one Harrison Ford film franchise to another, it sounds like the Indiana Jones movies very nearly had a different leading man. While promoting his memoir in 2024, Tom Selleck revealed that he was initially approached to play Indy in Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981; however, he'd already started working on Magnum, P.I., which made the negotiations a bit complicated. "Steven Spielberg and George Lucas kept the offer out to me," he revealed on Today. 'They said, 'We'll work it out and you can do both.' And the more they wanted me, the more CBS said, 'No, we don't want to let him do it.'' So, Tom had no choice but to turn it down, and Harrison later said he was very "grateful" for the way things played out — I would be, too, if I were worth a reported $300 million thanks (mostly) to the massive movie franchises I started in. Jared Leto - Titanic It's hard to imagine a world in which anyone other than our beloved Leonardo DiCaprio played Jack Dawson in Titanic, but it turns out James Cameron had his eyes on some other stars before Leo landed the part. According to reports, Jared Leto was one of the top contenders to play Jack before Leo entered the picture; however, he apparently refused to audition, potentially missing out on a role in a movie that would go on to gross over $2 billion worldwide. Talk about a Sliding Doors moment! Rachel McAdams - Iron Man In a 2023 profile with Bustle, Rachel McAdams talked about her break from acting in the 2000s, during which time she turned down five pretty major roles in movies that went on to be very successful: The Devil Wears Prada, Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible III, Iron Man, and Get Smart. Notably, she was apparently Jon Favreau's first choice to play Pepper Potts in Iron Man, which would have made her a part of the MCU from the very beginning. But, despite losing out on a whole lot of money, it sounds like Rachel has no regrets, knowing that turning down the roles was the right choice for her at that time. 'There's certainly things like 'I wish I'd done that.' I step back and go, 'That was the right person for that," she told Bustle. 'I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot. But I also knew it wasn't quite jiving with my personality and what I needed to stay sane.' There you have it! It's wild to think how different some of these movies and franchises could've been...
