Monday, November 17, 2014

DreamWorks Sinks, Hasbro Rebounds After Takeover Talks Reportedly End

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of movie maker DreamWorks are tumbling after multiple media outlets reported that talks about a takeover of the company by Hasbro had ended. WHAT'S NEW: Talks about an acquisition of DreamWorks by Hasbro have ended, multiple news outlets including The Wall Street Journal and Deadline reported over the weekend. However, Deadline, citing unnamed sources, reported that there's "still a slight chance" that the talks will resume. Hasbro's CEO and board visited DreamWorks' campus recently and a potential name for the combined entity - DreamWorks-Hasbro - was discussed, Deadline stated. Hasbro halted the talks because it became concerned about the negative reaction of its stock to reports about the discussions, Deadline added. Barron's weighed in on the issue over the weekend, writing that the deal "doesn't make sense economically." Partnering with DreamWorks would be logical for Habro, but buying DreamWorks would not be a good move for the toy maker, Barron's stated. DreamWorks' recent inability to create big hits or generate free cash makes it a poor takeover target for Hasbro, Barron's indicated. WHAT'S NOTABLE: In a note to investors on Thursday, Sterne Agee analyst Vasily Karasyov wrote that there is "no industrial logic" whatsoever to a combination of DreamWorks and Hasbro. Karasyov said there was no good reason for Hasbro to buy DreamWorks for $35 per share, the price that the movie maker was seeking, according to some reports. Karasyov predicted that the deal would not occur and kept a $17 price target and Underperform rating on the shares. Additionally, Piper Jaffray said the possible acquisition of DreamWorks Animation by Hasbro could have impacted the latter company's partnership with Disney . Piper thought buying a competing animation company could alter Disney's view of Hasbro as a partner. PRICE ACTION: In early trading, DreamWorks fell 15% to $22.08, while Hasbro gained 4.3% to $56.33. Reporting by Larry Ramer.


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