Barbie dolls are seen in a retailer at Fiumicino Airport in Rome on March 28, 2024.
Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Photos
Shares of Mattel rose almost 20% on Thursday after the Wall Road Journal reported that the toymaker had attracted takeover curiosity from Genuine Manufacturers Group.
The model licensing firm has privately mentioned a proposal that would worth Mattel at greater than $20 per share, or about $6 billion, the Journal reported, citing folks accustomed to the matter. Mattel traded simply above $15 per share on Thursday afternoon.
An individual accustomed to the talks confirmed to CNBC that there are discussions, however cautioned that they’re very preliminary. The individual requested to not be named as a result of the discussions are personal. The supply added that the overture is sensible as a result of Genuine has curiosity in leisure properties, notably these tailor-made to youngsters.
“As a matter of firm coverage, we don’t touch upon market rumors or hypothesis,” a Mattel spokesperson mentioned.
Genuine declined to remark.
Information of Genuine’s takeover curiosity follows Mattel’s Wednesday announcement that Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch will take over as its subsequent CEO. Shares of Mattel closed down 4% on Wednesday.
Lynch, who has been a member of Mattel’s board since 2018, will begin as chairman on Oct. 2 and as CEO by Nov. 2. He’ll succeed Ynon Kreiz, who has been named co-CEO of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.