Mattel Crashes as Holiday Stumble Raises Turnaround Doubts
- Deep discounting hurt margins during the period, CEO says
- Fourth-quarter profit fell below lowest Wall Street estimate
Mattel Barbie dolls
Photographer: Daniel Acker/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Mattel Inc. fell the most in almost eight years after posting weak holiday results, casting doubt on its turnaround just two weeks before a new chief executive officer takes over.
The company posted profit in the fourth quarter of 52 cents a share, excluding some items. That was well below the 71-cent average analyst estimate and even missed the lowest Wall Street projection of 61 cents. Sales also came in below predictions during the period, a critical stretch for toymakers.