Mattel, Inc has reported first quarter 2023 financial results. Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO of Mattel, said: “While retail inventory management impacted the first quarter’s results, the underlying business performed well. Mattel achieved growth and gained market share, per Circana. The fundamentals of our business are strong. We expect to outpace the industry, gain market share, and achieve our full year guidance. We are well positioned to continue executing our multi-year strategy and create long-term shareholder value.”
Anthony DiSilvestro, CFO of Mattel, added: “We expect consumer demand to be positive for the full year and for revenue comparisons to improve, as shipping patterns revert to historical trends in the second half. We continue to generate meaningful free cash flow and expect to exceed $400 million in 2023. Consistent with our capital allocation priorities, we have resumed share repurchases, which also reflects confidence in our strategy.”
Mattel 2023 Q1 Financial Overview
For the first quarter, Net Sales were down 22% as reported, or 21% in constant currency, versus the prior year. Reported Operating Loss was $115 million, a decrease of $195 million, and Adjusted Operating Loss was $87 million, a decrease of $177 million. Reported Net Loss Per Share was $0.30, compared to prior year Reported Net Income Per Share of $0.06, and Adjusted Net Loss Per Share was $0.24, compared to prior year Adjusted Net Income Per Share of $0.08.
Net Sales in the North America segment decreased 27% as reported and in constant currency.
Gross Billings in the North America segment decreased 27% as reported and in constant currency, due to declines in Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other (including Action Figures), Dolls (including Barbie®), Infant, Toddler, and Preschool (including Fisher-Price®), and Vehicles (including Hot Wheels®).
Net Sales in the International segment decreased 15% as reported, or 13% in constant currency.
Gross Billings in the International segment decreased 16% as reported, or 14% in constant currency, due to declines in Dolls (including Barbie), Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other (including Action Figures and Games), and Infant, Toddler, and Preschool (including Fisher-Price), partially offset by growth in Vehicles (including Hot Wheels).
Net Sales in the American Girl® segment decreased 5% as reported and in constant currency. Gross Billings in the American Girl segment decreased 6% as reported and in constant currency.
Reported Gross Margin decreased to 40.0%, versus 46.4% in the prior year, and Adjusted Gross Margin decreased to 40.0%, versus 46.6%. The decrease in Reported and Adjusted Gross Margin was primarily driven by inventory management efforts, including higher close-out sales and inventory obsolescence expense, cost inflation, unfavorable fixed cost absorption, and mix and other factors, partially offset by pricing and savings from the Optimizing for Growth program.
Reported Other Selling and Administrative Expenses increased $36 million, to $365 million, primarily driven by market-related pay increases and higher severance and restructuring expenses, partially offset by savings from the Optimizing for Growth program. Adjusted Other Selling and Administrative Expenses increased $15 million, to $336 million, primarily driven by market-related pay increases, partially offset by savings from the Optimizing for Growth program.
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, Cash Flows Used for Operating Activities were $206 million, an increase of $63 million, versus the prior year’s first quarter, primarily due to changes in net earnings, excluding the impact of non-cash items, partially offset by lower working capital usage. Cash Flows Used for Investing Activities were $43 million, a decrease of $12 million, primarily due to prior year payment of foreign currency forward contracts, partially offset by higher capital expenditures. Cash Flows Used for Financing Activities and Other were $51 million, as compared to cash inflows of $4 million in the prior year, primarily due to share repurchases and lower proceeds from the exercise of stock options.
Mattel 2023 Q1 Gross Billings by Categories
For the first quarter 2023, Mattel worldwide Gross Billings for Dolls were $306 million, down 23% as reported, or 22% in constant currency, versus the prior year, primarily due to declines in Barbie and Enchantimals, partially offset by the launch of Disney Princess and Disney Frozen and Monster High.
Worldwide Gross Billings for Infant, Toddler, and Preschool were $150 million, down 27% as reported, or 26% in constant currency, primarily due to declines in Fisher-Price.
Worldwide Gross Billings for Vehicles were $284 million, up 1% as reported and in constant currency, primarily driven by growth in Hot Wheels.
Worldwide Gross Billings for Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other were $171 million, down 39% as reported, or 38% in constant currency, primarily due to declines in Action Figures and Games.
A reconciliation of Mattel’s non-GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis, including Net Sales on a constant currency basis, Adjusted Gross Margin, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EPS, and Adjusted Tax Rate is not available without unreasonable effort. Mattel is unable to predict with sufficient certainty items that would be excluded from the corresponding GAAP measures, including the effect of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, unusual gains and losses or charges, and severance and restructuring charges, due to the unpredictable nature of such items, which may have a significant impact on Mattel’s GAAP measures.
The company is operating in a challenging macro-economic environment with higher volatility, including inflation, that may impact consumer demand. Mattel’s guidance takes into account what the company is aware of today but remains subject to further volatility and any unexpected disruption, including fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, inflation, changes in global economic conditions and consumer demand, labor market fluctuations, and other macro-economic risks and uncertainties.