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HASHasbro, Inc.Sell6.1·$78.00-2.68%
HAS · Why this verdict

Why Hasbro (HAS) is rated SELL

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictSELL
Overall score6.1/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL

Thesis pillars

The company has beaten earnings estimates in each of the four most recent quarters with an average positive surprise of roughly 40% — ranging from about 3% to nearly 69% above consensus — a streak that suggests a consistent pattern of under-promising and over-delivering across multiple reporting periods.

Stable
Earnings
Expectation
Average EPS surprise remains above 10% over the next 4 reported quarters, sustaining the beat pattern.

CounterAverage positive surprises of 40% are unusually large and may reflect a period of artificially depressed consensus expectations rather than structural outperformance; as estimates reset higher, the magnitude will likely compress, and a first miss could be disproportionately punished given current price levels.

Despite reporting a GAAP net loss, the business generates an 11% free cash flow margin and a 4.6% FCF yield — indicating that the cash economics of the business are meaningfully better than the headline income statement suggests.

Stable
Quality breakdown
Expectation
FCF margin remains above 8% and FCF yield stays above 3% over the next 12 months.

CounterFCF generation relies on non-cash adjustments offsetting the underlying GAAP loss; if working capital dynamics, amortization schedules, or restructuring timing normalize, the gap between the reported loss and positive FCF could compress, narrowing the margin of safety.

With the stock currently about 19.7% below the analyst consensus price target and a reward-to-risk ratio of roughly 4.5-to-1, the setup offers substantial upside room relative to the risk being taken at the current entry.

Stable
Price targets
Expectation
Price approaches the analyst consensus target of approximately $102 within 12 months as the roughly 20% gap closes.

CounterThe stock screens poorly relative to peers on both value and quality metrics, and analyst targets on consumer brands carrying high leverage can be revised down quickly on any sign of earnings deceleration — the analyst upside of 33% may prove optimistic if leverage costs increase or the beat streak breaks.

A debt-to-equity ratio of 5.7 and a dividend characterized as potentially unsupported by free cash flow represent the most significant structural vulnerabilities; should the earnings momentum reverse, the combination of leverage and dividend pressure could weigh on the stock disproportionately.

Stable
Bear case
Expectation
Debt-to-equity ratio declines below 4x over the next 12 months as free cash flow is directed toward deleveraging.

CounterThe same leverage that amplifies downside also amplifies equity returns if the beat streak continues; a business generating a 4.6% FCF yield while reducing debt can normalize its balance sheet faster than consensus estimates may expect.

TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

Hasbro has beaten earnings estimates in each of the four most recent quarters at an average positive surprise of roughly 40%, holds 19.7% upside to the analyst consensus target with a reward-to-risk ratio of approximately 4.5-to-1, and generates positive free cash flow despite a GAAP net loss — though high leverage of 5.7 times equity and a dividend that may not be supported by current cash flows represent the key structural risks to the thesis.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

7.3/10data confidence 83%
ComponentSub-score
P/S8.7
EV/EBITDA5.3
Fwd P/E8.8
PEG4.7
Analyst target9.0
  • Forward P/E: 12.5x
  • PEG: 1.77
  • Attractively valued

Quality

5.9/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE0.0
ROA8.0
Gross margin8.7
Op margin10.0
Net margin0.0
Current ratio6.0
FCF quality5.8
Moat5.8
Piotroski F8.9
  • FCF-positive despite GAAP loss (FCF margin 11%, FCF yield 4.8%)
  • Strong Piotroski F-Score: 8/9

Growth

7.8/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth5.7
EPS growth10.0

Momentum

2.5/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI3.5
MACD0.0
OBV1.0
MA position2.2
Volume6.0
  • Volume distribution (falling OBV)
  • Below 200-MA but MA still rising (+1.3%/30d) — pullback in uptrend, not confirmed weakness

Sentiment

7.9/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating8.6
Price target9.3
erm sentiment5.1
  • Analyst upside: 44%

Insider

5.0/10data confidence 50%
ComponentSub-score
materiality5.0
holder change5.1
  • No net insider activity — $0 (0.000% of mkt cap)

Peer rank

3.9/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank3.1
quality rank1.2
growth rank6.4

Technical

8.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger10.0
support resistance9.6
52w position4.8

Risk (lower is worse)

6.2/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest6.6
days to cover6.6
volatility5.6
put call10.0
implied vol4.3
beta10.0
debt equity0.0
  • Concentration risks: 2 MED (10-K Item 1A)

Catalyst

6.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history10.0
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg10.0
dividend safety3.5
  • Perfect beat streak: 4Q
  • Yield trap warning: high yield but unsafe

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Multiple concerning factors. Consider reducing position.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_SELL
Passed (7)
  • ASYMMETRY:4.6>=1.5
  • INSIDER:OK
  • 8K:CLEAN
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:16d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (1)
  • MOMENTUM:2.5<4.5
Warning (0)

none

Reward-to-Risk
4.56
Upside
+25.3%
Downside
5.5%
Sizing output
AVOID

Setup No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed

EdgeCatalyst-Driven Earnings in 16d with 4/4 beat streak

SuitabilityModerate Balanced profile

Investment implication

The F-path SELL output reflects an overall score of 4.6 below the 5.6 soft trigger — multiple weakening dimensions accumulated rather than a single hard-floor breach. The strongest dimension ( Technical at 8.1) was not enough to lift the adjusted overall above the threshold. Co-occurring failed gates ( MOMENTUM:2.5<4.5) reinforce the read. Current asymmetry R:R is 4.56 — supplementary context, not the trigger for this path.

The strongest dimensions are Technical at 8.1, Sentiment at 7.9, and Growth at 7.8; the weakest are Momentum at 2.5, Peer rank at 3.9, and Insider at 5.0. The V9 engine flagged 1 failed gate, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of 4.56 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1Perfect Earnings Beat Streak

    Trip ifEPS surprise falls below 0% for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P2Material Upside To Analyst Target

    Trip ifAnalyst consensus price target is revised below $89, bringing upside to within 5% of the current price and eliminating the material gap.

  • P3Fcf Positive Despite Gaap Loss

    Trip ifFCF margin falls below 0% for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P4Leverage And Dividend Sustainability

    Trip ifDebt-to-equity ratio falls below 3x for 2 consecutive quarters, substantially reducing the leverage risk.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

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