Welcome to the Transformers At The Moon news desk
This area of the website is dedicated to Transformers news. Currently
this website contains 1 news stories divided over 1 pages.
You can submit a news story by using our
news submission page.
You can browse the news stories contained within this section by using the
page jump buttons below. To filter the news stories, please
use the tabs that you will find directly below this introduction and
before the results area.
You can browse the news by category by clicking on the
Browse News Categories
option. From there a list of categories will appear, along with their
description. Simply click on the category that you are are after
and those news stories will appear.
You can also view the news stories by using the
Tag Cloud
which contains the most frequently used tags or by using the
Tag Index
section from which you can filter the news stories to only
include stories with specific tags, such as
"Transformers Toys", "UK Release", "Optimus Prime",
"eBay", "YouTube" etc.
Popular News Tags
Below you will find a tag cloud of the most popular news story tags.
Simply click on the tag to view all associated stories.
Tag clouds are not always the most useful output of tagging, and so
you can also browse the news stories using our tag index
by clicking on the tag index tag below the tag cloud.
auto assembly, botcon, bumblebee, dark of the moon, japanese release, megatron, optimus prime, revenge of the fallen, simon furman, starscream, transformers 2, transformers 3, transformers animated, transformers comics, transformers conventions, transformers movie, transformers prime, transformers revenge of the fallen, transformers toys, uk release,
Tag Index
From this section you can browser through all of the possible tags
that may have been assigned to a news story. The number of stories
tagged to each tag appears within brackets after the tag name. E.G Megatron (456)
means that 456 news stories have been tagged with the phrase "Megatron".
To navigate, simply use the top bar to browse by the first character of the tag phrase.
.ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZăć123478astrotrain (15), alternators (10), andrew wildman (12), auto assembly (161), autorooper (9), australian release (13), argos (35), armada (2), actionmasters (2), arachnid (1), auto assembly 2006 (1), airrazor (2), alternator ravage (4), argos catelogue (4), angela (2), apeface (1), actoys (20), activision (24), amazon (36), atfigures (1), avengers (1), atari-scream (1), autobot bumblebee (2), autobot rodimus (2), archadis (1), alex kurtzman (6), airazor (4), aint it cool news (1), andy wildman (11), action masters (1), alfred verrecchia (1), alternator (1), autobots (2), advance showing (1), alternator clear mirage (1), alternator rodimus (7), alphatrion (2), australia showing (1), alpha-trion (1), allspark cube (1), autobot logo (1), alex milne (6), actoys.net (26), alternator jazz (1), aaron archer (2), alex jaeger (1), alex cbalske (1), arcee (72), alpha trion (5), a3 (2), armorhide (2), artic runiation (1), artic armorhide (1), artic mega-octane (1), artic movor (1), artic rollbar (1), artic ro-tor (1), autobot jazz (5), atari (2), armor for sleep (1), alesha dixo (1), argos catalogue (2), alternator hot rod (2), alternator mirage (2), anime central (1), ai (1), alert (4), axalon tigertron (1), anime convoy (1), action force movie (1), ateam van (1), a-team van (1), australian releases (2), autofire (1), autobase atachi (3), arts alliance media's vizumi network (1), anime starscream (1), anydvd (1), activison (1), argos sale (2), asda (8), auto assembly 2008 (7), anakin jedi starfighter (4), adventure team (1), ages 3 and up (1), astro-hook (1), astro-line (1), astro-sinker (1), animated book (1), animated ironhide (1), allspark power (4), amazingtransformers.com (1), animated screen grabs (1), animated video (4), allspark (2), animated grimlock (1), argos listings (3), argos news (1), argos listing (1), animated wallpapers (1), arcee wallpaper (1), animated images (1), arnold vosloo (1), animated toys (13), animated megatron (1), along came a spider (3), animated ratchet (1), animated blackarachnia (1), animated videos (1), ad-01 galvatron (1), animated character sheets (1), animated magnus (1), animated characters (1), animated online (1), animated dvd (2), amazon.com (3), animated packaging (1), aveo swerve (1), anime (3), animated activators (5), action figure digest (1), angry archer (4), airwonderstories (1), australia (1), animted ironhide (1), animated (4), artobot (1), aniamted wallpaper (1), a fist full of energon (2), autobot camp (2), alice (1), animated voyager lugnut (1), animated voyager grimlock (1), animated leader bulkhead w/ headmaster (1), animated leader megatron (earth mode) (1), aniamted supreme roll out command optimus prime (1), animated activators bumblebee (1), animated activators bulkhead (1), animated activ (1), animated soundwave (1), a bridge too close (3), animated jazz (1), aa2008 (8), animated showtimes (1), alterntity (2), a bridge to close (2), animated comic (4), alt.transformers (1), animated computer game (1), ap (2), auto assemby (1), ani-con (1), animated skywarp (2), auto assembly 2009 (13), animted schedule (1), animated legends (1), alaxy force optimus prime (1), alternity (14), aicn (1), animated shockwave (1), autobat blaster (1), autobot ratchet (4), aerial rivals (1), animated activator (1), activator grimlock (1), activators bumblebee (1), activiators (1), animated 2-pack (1), actionfigs.com (1), argent meister (1), australian transformers animated event (1), all hail lmegatron (1), atomic lugnut (1), animated series 3 (1), animated season 3 (1), autobot springer (2), amazing (1), aerialbots (2), afa transformers (1), afa graded transformers (3), action figure authority (1), audi (1), autoscout (1), autobot wheelie (1), animated optimus prime (1), airforce 1 (5), animated season three (1), australian toy fair (2), autobot skids (4), autobot skids & mudflap (ice cream truck combiner) (4), apocolypse comics (1), all hail megatron (4), actoy.net (2), auto assembly 2010 (28), aa 2009 (2), afa graded (1), alternity diamond black megatron (1), auto asselbmyh 2009 (1), auto assembly auto assembly 2009 (1), andrew griffith (1), animated activated (1), air riad (1), and soundwave (1), autobot blades (1), august 2009 (1), alternity megatron (2), amazon japan exclusive transformers revenge swerve (1), ark addendum (31), aa2010 (3), amazon japan exclusive black optimus prime (1), amazon japan exclusive optimus prime black version (1), amiami (3), acid blast (1), airachnid (7), aa 2010 (3), allspark almanac ii (3), apparel (1), amazon.con (1), allspark almanac (7), amazon.co.jp (1), arcade game (1), autobot spark (3), autobase aichi (5), all the cool things (1), actoys.rapido (1), airachinid (1), advertising age (1), autobot city (2), ark addendun (1), air raid (1), afterburner (1), autorollers (1), action master (1), autojetter (1), autolauncher (1), artfire (1), autostinger (1), autocrusher (1), apache (2), ac toys (1), alttoys.transformers (1), autobot alliance (2), arcee statue (1), animation-comic-game hong kong (acghk) (2), autorobot.it (1), allspark almanac 2 (1), auto assembly 2011 (30), activator optimus prime (1), apan family mart contest prize list - crystal clear version of rotf optimus prime (1), apocalypse comics (1), axor (1), alternity convoy (1), alternity cliff (1), animated black rodimus (1), alfes (1), anibots (1), activators (1), allspark.com (4), alt.toys.transformers (1), auction (3), asdamreveal the shield (1), animated breakdown (1), a prime problem (1), animated dragstrip (1), autobot topspin (1), all the cool stuff (4), allthecoolstuff (1), animated transtech cheetor (1), articles (4), action force (1), animated stunticons (1), airarachnid (1), airarchnid (2), auto assembly 2012 (26), apple (3), ark (1), ark playset (1), arlene banas (1), abrams books (1), aritsts (1), anakin skywalker (1), autotrooper (3), album review (1), artist direct (1), auctions (1), attack of the show (1), android (1), apps (1), animated cheetor (1), armred sa\ber (1), abyss constructicons (1), auto assembly launches new fanzine - ct alpha (1), add-on (1), auto assembly europe (7), amazon exclusive (1), amazon exclsuive unicron (1), amazon.fr (1), auto assembly europe (2), armor topspin (1), action force convention 2012 (2), akzonobe (1), alien (1), artimus (1), alexander kubalsky (1), auto assembly 2012 christmas sale now on! (1), auto assembly's 12 days of christmas (1), animation sequence (1), AUTOBOT HOUND (1), auto assembly europe 2012 (4), Alternity Goldbug (1), Allicon (1), Auto Assembly 2012 (2), asus (1), Action Force Conventions (4), add-ons (1), Augusto Barranco (1), Axalon (2), Ark Unicron (1), Asahikawa Winter Festival (1), availability (1), Air Screech (1), Auto Assemby 2012 (1), Auto Asssembly (1), A Fearsome Combination (1), Arms Micron Skywarp (1),
After Mattel posted an 11% drop in it's sales figures on Wall Street yesterday Hasbro's shares also dropped (even though they haddn't posted any figures).
Seeking Alpha reports
Everyone knows or knows someone who knows a “Debbie Downer.” That acquaintance or friend that just won’t let you have a good time. They always seem to pull the good times down and ruin the party for the rest of us.
You can find Debbie Downers in the stock market as well. Today’s example is Mattel (NYSE: MAT). After it reported lower earnings and an 11% drop in sales, it dragged Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) down with it.
The reasoning behind most of these moves is that the pressures hurting one company in a sector should be impacting the competition as well.
But that isn’t always the case.
We can find numerous examples of companies in the same industry with the same pressures that deal with those challenges differently. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) was able to put up considerable numbers over the past year as its competition suffered greatly. It did this by hedging its oil costs correctly.
Maybe Hasbro hasn’t done the exact same thing as Mattel – and will report similar earnings figures? But who’s to say they did. As smart investors, we cannot assume that is the case. As of this writing, Mattel is down 16% and Hasbro is down 9%.
Let's think about that, a 9% percent drop on no information about their business model. It’s the kind of emotional movement that value investors love.
Hasbro Inc and Mattel both released their first quarter figures this afternoon (this morning in America) with forecasts fair even performance for both companies, but with Hasbro receiving the higher increase in profits. Well the official figures are in, shocking some forecasters, as whilst Hasbro's profits rose by 14%, Mattel reported a loss of $46.6 Million
Reuters report that "The maker of Monopoly board games said first-quarter profit
climbed to $37.5 million, or 25 cents a share, from $32.9
million, or 19 cents a share, a year earlier.
Quarterly sales rose 13 percent to $704.2 million from
$625.3 million.
Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 14 cents a
share on $582.2 million in sales, according to Reuters
Estimates.
Hasbro said sales climbed 6 percent in the United States
and Canada and 22 percent internationally."
AP Business Wire reported "The toymaker Hasbro Inc. said Monday its earnings rose 14 percent in
the first quarter on growth in brands such as Transformers and Littlest
Pet Shop.
The world's second biggest toy company said it earned $37.5
million, or 25 cents per share, for the three months ended March 30, up
from $32.9 million, or 19 cents per share, during the same quarter a
year ago.
The results beat the expectations of analysts polled by Thomson Financial, who forecast net income of 14 cents per share.
Sales grew 13 percent to $704.2 million from $625.3 million a year ago.
The
company said international revenue rose 22 percent to $248.3 million,
while revenue in the U.S. and Canada segment grew 6 percent to $428.5
million.
Hasbro released the results as its chief rival, Mattel
Inc., said it lost $46.6 million, or 13 cents per share, missing
analysts' expectations of a profit of a penny per share. The El
Segundo, Calif.-based maker of Barbie dolls and Fisher-Price toys
blamed higher product costs and legal fees."
With Mattel featuring a backlash due to safety concerns on various of their products, Hasbro are now stepping up testing in their Chinese factories.
Here's a snippet of a story currently running on
Yahoo Business News
Hasbro does not own any toy plants in China and relies entirely on contractors for its production there. Mattel owns five Chinese toy factories, but not Lee Der Industrial Co., which made the 1.5 million preschool toys that were recalled across the globe earlier this month.
Most of Hasbro's toys are made in China; Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Sean McGowan said this fact may actually help the maker of Transformers and Star Wars action figures prevent tainted toys from ever reaching a child's hands.
"Knowing that they are more vulnerable, they have put in layers of testing that they might not have if they weren't using contract manufacturers," McGowan said.
"It may happen at some point that Hasbro or some other company winds up with a manufacturing issue, but they feel pretty confident that they've got the kinds of systems in place that would catch anything."
Under its new "three-point" check system, Mattel said it would require every batch of paint at each of its vendors to be tested and said it would increase the number of random inspections of its factories. The toy maker also said it would test each production run of its toys.
Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of Toy Wishes magazine, said every major toy company is taking a hard look its manufacturing to ensure there are no problems for the holiday season, the most crucial selling period for toy companies.
"All the major companies are overseas right now looking at their factories and literally testing like they've never tested before," Silver said. "Everybody is over there checking. Nobody really wants an issue for the fourth quarter and they realize the importance of meeting all safety standards."
Shares of Hasbro rose 32 cents to close at $27.61 a share on the New York Stock Exchange, while Mattel slipped 45 cents to $22.55 following the recall.
An interesting side-note on this story is that some companies / stores are already starting to look at European made products as a replacement for Far Eastern goods.
Naplenews suggests that as all European toys are stamped with the CE sticker, proving they have past stringent safety tests in Europe (which are far stricter than it's US counterparts), the shops / manufacturers feel safe that these goods would not have a similar problem.
| Discuss: 
