It hardly seems a fair question. Even a bird's-eye view suggests Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS) is the better toy company over Mattel (NASDAQ:MAT). In its latest quarter, Hasbro reported a triple play of record revenue, operating profit, and earnings growth while its rival saw sales fall, adjusted operating earnings worsen, and net losses deteriorate.
And when you get up close, too, things are decidedly in Hasbro's favor. Star Wars continues to help boost Hasbro's boys segment, even if not to the same extent it did in the fourth quarter. The perennial kids' favorite Play-Doh also helped boost its preschool division, while the Frozen and Disney Princess franchises which Disney (NYSE:DIS) stripped from Mattel and gave to Hasbro helped make its girls segment the best performer this period.
Yeah, remember that whole kerfuffle over Hasbro dissing girls because it withheld a Rey action figure from the market? Well, Disney likely just helped Hasbro solve its "girl problem," as the Frozen characters Anna and Elsa sparked a 41% jump in division revenues. It likely also quashed the last remaining possibility that Hasbro would buy Mattel to help plug the big hole it's had in its girls segment.