Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares

Thursday, August 1st, 2013 2:10PM CDT

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Hasbro Announces Additional $500 Million Share Repurchase Authorization & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares

PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the Company to repurchase an additional $500 million of its common stock. As of Wednesday, July 31, 2013, $71.8 million remained available in the Company's prior share repurchase authorization.

Additionally, the Company's Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.40 per common share. The dividend will be payable on November 15, 2013 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 1, 2013.

"The additional $500 million share repurchase authorization is consistent with our stated capital deployment priorities of strategically investing in our business and returning cash to our shareholders through the payment of our quarterly dividend and the repurchase of our shares," said Deborah Thomas, Hasbro's Chief Financial Officer. "The ability to fund these programs reflects our strong cash flow generation of $632 million over the trailing twelve months and a solid balance sheet."

Since re-starting its buyback program in June 2005, the Company has repurchased 91.4 million shares at a total cost of $2.8 billion and an average price of $30.30 per share.

Repurchases of the Company's common stock may be made from time to time, subject to market conditions. These shares may be purchased in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions. Hasbro has no obligation to repurchase shares under the authorization, and the timing, actual number and value of shares which are repurchased will depend on a number of factors, including the price of the Company's common stock. The Company may suspend or discontinue the repurchase program at any time.

About Hasbro

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company dedicated to fulfilling the fundamental need for play for children and families through the creative expression of the Company's world class brand portfolio, including TRANSFORMERS, MONOPOLY, PLAY-DOH, MY LITTLE PONY, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, NERF and LITTLEST PET SHOP. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, digital gaming and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its global customers with innovative play and entertainment experiences, in a variety of forms and formats, anytime and anywhere. The Company's Hasbro Studios develops and produces television programming for more than 170 markets around the world, and for the U.S. on Hub Network, part of a multi-platform joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK). Through the company's deep commitment to corporate social responsibility, including philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to build a safe and sustainable world for future generations and to positively impact the lives of millions of children and families every year. It has been recognized for its efforts by being named one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" and is ranked as one of Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens." Learn more at www.hasbro.com.

© 2013 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

HAS-D

Hasbro, Inc.

Credit(s): Hasbro

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Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508378)
Posted by Mindmaster on August 1st, 2013 @ 2:26pm CDT

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508380)
Posted by Va'al on August 1st, 2013 @ 2:28pm CDT

Mindmaster wrote::???:

I will not pretend I understand it either. Finance confuses me at this level.

I think it means they're doing well, though.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508386)
Posted by Bed Bugs on August 1st, 2013 @ 3:04pm CDT

Basically, when a corporation this size buys back stock it's trying to accomplish a few goals. When you buy stock in Hasbro, you are basically buying debt that the company owes, as well as a part of the company.

So back when the company needed money for expansion or to get by, it probably issued stock rather than take out a loan. By doing so, it did reduce the amount of ownership in the company for current stockholders at the time.

So say Hasbro has 1,000,000 shares. You are related to one of the founders and own 500,000 of the shares. So you own 50% of the company because 500,000/1,000,000 = 1/2 or 50%.

Now say Hasbro wanted to grow and issued an additional 1,000,000 in stock. If you don't buy any of that stock, your ownership stake in the company shrinks from 1/2 to only 1/4. Obviously, those that had stock prior to them issuing more would like that stock to eventually go away, thus increasing their ownership percentage again.

So by Hasbro using its money to buy back the stock, those percentages can once again return to what they were prior to the stock being issued.

There is also the flip side that if you bought stock when it was low, you now have a guaranteed buyer in the corporation itself should you be trying to make a profit on what stock you have. So should somebody that inherited a bunch of shares be looking for a chance to get out of the corporation all together, this would be a perfect opportunity.

Also, by reducing the amount of stock issued, it makes it more scarce to own, thus will likely increase the share prices on shares outstanding once the purchase in complete.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508396)
Posted by Va'al on August 1st, 2013 @ 3:40pm CDT

Right, thanks!

...but does it also mean they're doing well?

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508397)
Posted by Mindmaster on August 1st, 2013 @ 3:42pm CDT

Note to self: finance will not be a major in college. Stick with history.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508398)
Posted by Va'al on August 1st, 2013 @ 3:48pm CDT

Mindmaster wrote:Note to self: finance will not be a major in college. Stick with history.

I keep forgetting how young you are. :sad:

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508399)
Posted by Mindmaster on August 1st, 2013 @ 3:50pm CDT

Va'al wrote:
Mindmaster wrote:Note to self: finance will not be a major in college. Stick with history.

I keep forgetting how young you are.

One year away, though! Almost done with the hellhole that is high school. :HEADHURTS:

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508412)
Posted by njb902 on August 1st, 2013 @ 5:34pm CDT

Mindmaster wrote:Note to self: finance will not be a major in college. Stick with history.

History is a dead end.

And to va'al, yes hasbro is doing just fine.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508413)
Posted by Va'al on August 1st, 2013 @ 5:44pm CDT

njb902 wrote:And to va'al, yes hasbro is doing just fine.

Thought so. :-B

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508436)
Posted by Transformado on August 1st, 2013 @ 8:04pm CDT

hord it a low price before movie and anything that comes with it as stock will be rebounding in about a year, if not sooner. if there is anything you should be collecting, it should be undervalue shares. :michaelbay:

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508437)
Posted by RAcast on August 1st, 2013 @ 8:09pm CDT

Mindmaster wrote:
Va'al wrote:
Mindmaster wrote:Note to self: finance will not be a major in college. Stick with history.

I keep forgetting how young you are.

One year away, though! Almost done with the hellhole that is high school.

Don't do History and don't do Liberal Arts unless you're planning on teaching.

Get a degree with high marketability and utility, engineering is always a good choice.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508440)
Posted by Mindmaster on August 1st, 2013 @ 8:12pm CDT

RAcast wrote:
Mindmaster wrote:
Va'al wrote:
Mindmaster wrote:Note to self: finance will not be a major in college. Stick with history.

I keep forgetting how young you are.

One year away, though! Almost done with the hellhole that is high school.

Don't do History and don't do Liberal Arts unless you're planning on teaching. Get a degree with high marketability and utility, engineering is always a good choice.

Actually, that is precisely my intention: teaching history in a middle- or high school, after military service.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508441)
Posted by njb902 on August 1st, 2013 @ 8:22pm CDT

Mindmaster wrote:
RAcast wrote:
Mindmaster wrote:
Va'al wrote:
Mindmaster wrote:Note to self: finance will not be a major in college. Stick with history.

I keep forgetting how young you are.

One year away, though! Almost done with the hellhole that is high school.

Don't do History and don't do Liberal Arts unless you're planning on teaching. Get a degree with high marketability and utility, engineering is always a good choice.

Actually, that is precisely my intention: teaching history in a middle- or high school, after military service.

Teaching jobs seem to be drying up though, so I wouldn't rely on finding a job.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508459)
Posted by Black Bumblebee on August 1st, 2013 @ 9:28pm CDT

As someone with a Master's degree in education, with an emphasis in English... let me state this clearly: do not major in the liberal arts. There are no jobs.

I have $80k debt in student loans, yet am only able to find part-time work teaching at two different colleges, 70 miles apart from one another. Even though I teach more classes than a full time teacher this way (7 classes vs. 5 for full time), I have no insurance, no benefits, no retirement, no 401k and make so little money that I am sometimes tempted to go back into retail.

Current statistics show that more than half of the classes are taught by part-time teachers at the university level (the only thing you will be able to do with your history degree), and the number is expected to rise with the Obama regulations on universal healthcare (I lost my summer classes this year due to Universal Health Care hour regulations).

Please, for the love of all that is holy... make sure you research the job market for the degree you plan on obtaining. I love teaching, but it was the worst mistake of my life.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508483)
Posted by Metrosuplex on August 2nd, 2013 @ 12:04am CDT

I think this is a show for investors.

1) Hasbro cuts costs by reducing toy quality (i.e. less plastic ) and cutting jobs
2) Hasbro declares "good balance sheet" and makes a show of it by buying back stock.

But where do we see an actual PROFIT? I'm thinking this: if you cut your expenses, that doesn't mean you are selling more. It means your expenses are less, so your paperwork looks like your profitable. But that's not sustained profit if sales are suffering.

I want to hear ACTUAL SALES FIGURES. All this other stockholder theatrics mean nothing if sales are DECREASING.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508487)
Posted by njb902 on August 2nd, 2013 @ 12:17am CDT

Metrosuplex wrote:I think this is a show for investors.

1) Hasbro cuts costs by reducing toy quality (i.e. less plastic ) and cutting jobs
2) Hasbro declares "good balance sheet" and makes a show of it by buying back stock.

But where do we see an actual PROFIT? I'm thinking this: if you cut your expenses, that doesn't mean you are selling more. It means your expenses are less, so your paperwork looks like your profitable. But that's not sustained profit if sales are suffering.

I want to hear ACTUAL SALES FIGURES. All this other stockholder theatrics mean nothing if sales are DECREASING.

Going strictly on sales can be deceiving. You have to look at all of Hasbro's financial reports to have a good read on the company's health.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508490)
Posted by Metrosuplex on August 2nd, 2013 @ 12:35am CDT

njb902 wrote:
Going strictly on sales can be deceiving. You have to look at all of Hasbro's financial reports to have a good read on the company's health.

Great point. My intention is to illustrate what you said: don't be fooled by a show.

I say downward spiraling sales because I worry (from what I've seen in local retail) that Hasbro is NOT making more sales. Decreasing costs ( in this scenario) is circling the drain. Your profit per sale goes up, but if, say, TMNT is kicking your @$$, you are only prolonging the inevitable.

Besides all of that, has anyone asked why Hasbro is making such a show if profitability?

Weren't there rumors of an acquisition by Disney?

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508491)
Posted by Mindmaster on August 2nd, 2013 @ 12:38am CDT

Those rumors were shot down by Hasbro (and I think Disney was in on it as well) themselves.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508492)
Posted by Metrosuplex on August 2nd, 2013 @ 12:48am CDT

Mindmaster wrote:Those rumors were shot down by Hasbro (and I think Disney was in on it as well) themselves.

No offense here, but I absolutely love how some of you will use a quote or company statement as fact.

You are probably right about the rumors, but there are plenty of reasons to deny a fact publicly. People do it everyday.

In addition, making yourself look profitable (extremely so, it seems in Hasbro's case) is a good way to tempt a big fish like Disney, who (as you fully know) owns SW and Marvel.

Frankly, despite all these official denials, Hasbro is too tasty of a fish for Disney to ignore. If Hasbro pumps up its books, it gains a fatter buyout check.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508493)
Posted by njb902 on August 2nd, 2013 @ 12:50am CDT

Metrosuplex wrote:
njb902 wrote:
Going strictly on sales can be deceiving. You have to look at all of Hasbro's financial reports to have a good read on the company's health.

Great point. My intention is to illustrate what you said: don't be fooled by a show.

I say downward spiraling sales because I worry (from what I've seen in local retail) that Hasbro is NOT making more sales. Decreasing costs ( in this scenario) is circling the drain. Your profit per sale goes up, but if, say, TMNT is kicking your @$$, you are only prolonging the inevitable.

Besides all of that, has anyone asked why Hasbro is making such a show if profitability?

Weren't there rumors of an acquisition by Disney?

I'm not worried about Hasbro's future. Even if the past few quarters haven't been stellar, they haven't been horrible by any means.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508494)
Posted by Metrosuplex on August 2nd, 2013 @ 12:56am CDT

njb902 wrote:
Metrosuplex wrote:
njb902 wrote:
Going strictly on sales can be deceiving. You have to look at all of Hasbro's financial reports to have a good read on the company's health.

Great point. My intention is to illustrate what you said: don't be fooled by a show.

I say downward spiraling sales because I worry (from what I've seen in local retail) that Hasbro is NOT making more sales. Decreasing costs ( in this scenario) is circling the drain. Your profit per sale goes up, but if, say, TMNT is kicking your @$$, you are only prolonging the inevitable.

Besides all of that, has anyone asked why Hasbro is making such a show if profitability?

Weren't there rumors of an acquisition by Disney?

I'm not worried about Hasbro's future. Even if the past few quarters haven't been stellar, they haven't been horrible by any means.

You are right, of course, and I don't mean to imply Hasbro is doomed. I just worry when I see ANY company pump up the value of stock - it's usually for short term gains. Google Chainsaw Al Dunlap for some good examples.

Besides, it does sound like Hasbro is trying to raise its stock price with these press releases, and if that is true.... it supports my suspicions about courting Disney. It doesn't confirm, but does support.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508496)
Posted by njb902 on August 2nd, 2013 @ 1:01am CDT

Hmmmm, it could happen. I just don't see Disney buying a toy company though, but hey stranger things have happened.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508498)
Posted by Metrosuplex on August 2nd, 2013 @ 1:08am CDT

njb902 wrote:Hmmmm, it could happen. I just don't see Disney buying a toy company though, but hey stranger things have happened.

Well, how does it work now? Does Hasbro pay Marvel (i.e. Disney) a licensing fee to make Marvel toys?

From that perspective, Disney absolutely could sit around and collect checks like this. After the $4 billion SW buyout, it seems like the prudent thing to do...

But as Disney IS buying out a whole lot of boy brands lately, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think they might one day want to own the whole enchilada.

But you bring up an important point here: is Disney a toy company, and if not, are they interested in becoming one?

My ignorant perspective is that owning the company that prints Marvel and SW toys would be profitable for Disney - especially when Hasbro makes press releases promising just that.

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508501)
Posted by Metrosuplex on August 2nd, 2013 @ 1:30am CDT

Some preliminary research shows that, according to Disney itself, they do not make toys.

This absolutely would confirm the Hasbro buyout as pure rumor.

Not very exciting of a revelation, but I'm not a conspiracy nut here. If Disney does not directly manufacture toys, there's no way of saying they will break pattern with Hasbro.

But the interesting read is how Disney seems aware of child labor and sweatshop conditions of its products, but has a "we didn't know about this because we only license toys!" attitude. So it's very hard to say (at this point) that they would be interested in Hasbro.

But hey, anything is possible.

And if not for Disney, could Hasbro be courting a different buyer? Or maybe it's the work of another criminal CEO?

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508502)
Posted by Metrosuplex on August 2nd, 2013 @ 1:32am CDT

Double post! Sorry!

Re: Hasbro - Additional $500mln Share Repurchase & Quarterly Cash Dividend on Common Shares (1508662)
Posted by Bed Bugs on August 2nd, 2013 @ 2:42pm CDT

Also, keep in mind that with owning stock, that entitles you to voting rights. Every share of stock is one vote.

By buying back stock, Hasbro is reducing the number of votes out there as well.

Given the rumors about Disney acquiring them, this is an important thing to look at. In order for Hasbro to sell themselves to Disney, they would need stockholder approval. It's much easier to reach a voting majority with fewer votes available.

Additionally, if/when a buyout would occur, Disney would need to buy all outstanding shares of Hasbro or offer to trade stockholders Hasbro stock into Disney stock. With less stock out there, it costs Disney less in the buyout and makes the transition much easier should it occur.