Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) announces record growth for its October 2026 event at Excel London, with exhibitor numbers up 16% year-on-year and 222 confirmed exhibitors. The event follows a successful 2025 edition that attracted over 11,000 visitors. New exhibitors include Tate Modern, ATP Tour, and Del Monte Europe, while returning participants span heritage, sports, entertainment, and retail sectors.

Patient Capital Management fully exited its 2.79 million share position in Mattel during Q1 2026, selling for approximately $50.9 million. Despite the blockbuster success of the Barbie movie, Mattel stock has declined 24% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500. While Q1 net sales rose 4% driven by strong international growth and Hot Wheels momentum, Barbie gross billings fell 16% and margins contracted due to tariffs and inflation pressures. The company is attempting to transition from a toy maker into a broader entertainment and IP company through digital gaming initiatives.

Serenity Capital Management, a China-focused investment fund, sold 383,611 shares of Mattel (worth ~$7 million) during Q1 2026, reducing its stake to 2 million shares. The fund trimmed the position after margin pressures from tariffs, foreign exchange headwinds, and inflation impacted profitability, despite Mattel beating revenue expectations. Mattel stock trades near 52-week lows, down 21.1% over the past year.

Otis College of Art and Design hosted its annual Atelier scholarship benefit on May 7, 2026, honoring fashion designer Jason Wu with the Creative Visionary Award. The event showcased student fashion designs in partnership with mentors including Nike, St. John, Vince, and others, while announcing three new scholarships including the inaugural Mattel Toy Design Scholarship and Fashion Trust U.S.'s first scholarship to Otis students.

Multiple companies announced strategic reviews and M&A activity. J.M. Smucker hired Goldman Sachs for a portfolio review amid activist pressure, potentially leading to a Hostess sale. Meta acquired Assured Robot Intelligence for AI robotics development. Meanwhile, BuzzFeed faces bankruptcy risk after missing a $5 million debt payment with a May 18 deadline. Other notable deals include GameStop's $55 billion non-binding proposal for eBay, Angelini Pharma's $4.1 billion acquisition of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, and Ametek's $5 billion purchase of Indicor's instrumentation businesses.

Denny's is launching a cross-country Masters of the Universe-themed mobile diner in partnership with Mattel and Amazon MGM Studios, traveling from South Carolina to Los Angeles ahead of the movie's June 5 release. The activation includes a custom Battle Cat-wrapped 53-foot truck with a functional kitchen, limited-time menu items, and a social media contest offering exclusive diner deals to fans who photograph and share the truck.

Denny's has launched a limited-time Masters of the Universe themed menu in partnership with Mattel, Inc. and Amazon MGM Studios. The collaboration features branded menu items and a sweepstakes offering 10 grand prize trips to the movie premiere in Hollywood on May 18th, 2026. The promotion runs from April 15-22, 2026 at participating Denny's locations nationwide.

A former hedge fund analyst recommends three undervalued stocks with growth potential: Energy Transfer, a midstream company with a 7% yield trading at attractive valuations; JAKKS Pacific, a deep value toymaker benefiting from a new CFO's discipline and upcoming children's movie releases; and GitLab, a software development platform trading at a low EV-to-sales ratio with potential upside from its new Duo Agent solution.

Chinese toymaker Bloks Group swung to profitability in 2025 with 634 million yuan profit, driven by 30% revenue growth and strong overseas expansion, particularly in the Americas. However, the company faces margin pressures from its ultra-low-priced blind box products (9.9 yuan) which account for 18.6% of revenue, and lacks the brand recognition and self-developed IP of competitors like Pop Mart and Lego.

The article recommends two undervalued consumer stocks: e.l.f. Beauty, trading at a cheap valuation with a PEG ratio below 0.4, benefits from its Rhode skincare brand acquisition and expanding Sephora distribution. Jakks Pacific, trading at a forward P/E under 6.5x, is positioned to capitalize on strong children's movie releases and improved operational discipline under new CFO leadership.

The Portnoy Law Firm has initiated an investigation into possible securities fraud at Mattel, Inc. following a significant stock price decline of 24.98% on February 11, 2026. The drop occurred after Mattel reported fourth quarter and full year 2025 results that missed guidance, with net sales declining 1% year-over-year and adjusted operating income falling to $620 million versus guidance of $700-750 million. Management attributed the miss to trade-related uncertainty and inventory management challenges.

The Portnoy Law Firm has initiated a securities fraud investigation into Mattel, Inc. following a significant stock decline of 24.98% on February 11, 2026. The drop occurred after Mattel reported fourth quarter and full year 2025 results that missed guidance, with net sales declining 1% year-over-year and adjusted operating income falling to $620 million versus guidance of $700-750 million. Management attributed the miss to trade-related uncertainty and larger-than-expected inventory management impacts on margins.