Mattel, Inc. Message Board

They are as much as the SEC will allow them until
March 31, 1999. After-which they are lifted from the
restrictions imposed on them from buying Tyco on March 31,
1997 based on pooling transaction.

This
management knows the value of their company they have
indicated they will be buying agressively if the share
price is $38 or below, come march 31.

My information sources are solid. Seller? Very amusing.

Hi I think this looks like a great buying
opportunity here,
Mattel has a modest pe even if earnings
fall a few pennies
per share, not to mention
mattels near 30 percent return on
equity, that's
amazing. I just wanted to know if anyone knows
if
Mattels is buying back their shares.
Thank you

Siegfried

I would at least wait out the X-mas season.

Guess we will all have to waite and see what real
affect this has on Mat.
I bought in at 36. Thought
was a good company and fairly to undervalued at that
price. This was just before the Toys
announcements.
Personally, think the sell off to 28 is overdone.
If
earnings were to drop to 1.88 and sell slightly below its
historic p/e say to 19 that puts the stock at
35.75.

Right now, i have a 20 percent lose. Didnt know it
would keep going lower.Buying more at this level would
not lower my average much. Selling at this point is
futile too(i think).

I dont believe i have any
options but to wait it out.
I honestly think it "kills
me" to see it at this price where i could have bought
more so than having the "paper " lose.
I certainly
think it will rebound.
Your thoughts would be
appreciated. Best to all

Are you assuming the buyer was GEICO? Also, how can you be sure that GEICO wasn't selling? Where did you get your information?

Sure there will be some impact - but it will be
modest and short term. My daughters want certain
Barbie's this Xmas - do you think they care where I get
them?

They will most likely earn $1.90 to $1.95 this year.
Over the next five years thus number can easily
double, and double again over the next five years. For 15
- 16 X earnings, this very fine company is a
steal.

300,000 share block crossed by SSB. Buyer = Geico.

Mattel Shares Fall on Concern Toys `R' Us Will
Hurt Profit

El Segundo, California, Sept. 23
(Bloomberg) -- Mattel Inc. shares fell for a second day,
tumbling as much as 8.6 percent, on concern that inventory
cutbacks at its largest customer, Toys ``R'' Us Inc., will
hurt profit.

Mattel, the industry leader with
brands such as Barbie and Hot Wheels, fell 2 3/4 to 29
7/16 in late trading of 3.44 million, more than double
the three-month daily average. Earlier, the shares
touched 28 1/4.

The shares have fallen 12 percent
since last week, when Toys ``R'' Us said it would take
a third-quarter charge, close stores and fire
employees to reduce costs and compete with lower-priced
rivals. In February, Toys ``R'' Us also said it would
eliminate about $250 million in inventory this year to cut
costs.

``Toys `R' Us dropped another bomb, and
there is nervousness of Mattel's ability to deliver
numbers based on Toys `R' Us's inventory problems,'' said
analyst Hayley Kissel of Merrill Lynch & Co., who has a
``medium-term buy'' rating on Mattel.

Analyst Margaret
Whitfield at Tucker Anthony Inc. cut her rating on the
stock to ``market outperform'' from ``strong buy.''


Executives from Mattel are scheduled to meet with Toys ``R''
Us executives tomorrow to discuss the retailer's new
store formats and how the company will work with its
vendors, analysts said. Toys ``R'' Us will also meet with
No. 2 toymaker Hasbro Inc.

Inventory cuts at
Toys ``R'' Us means even fewer orders of Mattel's
brands, which include Fisher-Price toys and Tyco remote-
controlled cars. In the second quarter, Mattel said
declining orders reduced sales by about $78 million.


Shares of Mattel, based in the Los Angeles suburb of El
Segundo, California, have lost 28 percent of their value
since it said Toys ``R'' Us bought less merchandise,
which hurt second- quarter earnings. It was the second
consecutive quarter hurt by declining sales at Toys ``R'' Us.


15:45:01 09/23/1998

I didn't see the announcement by toy, I'll check it from here when I leave. to make dough chech out YARC on the nasdaq. I've doubled in three days.