Latest news with #Wizards'
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hasbro has a winning hand with Wizards, bucking the trend in retail
reported a strong Q1 thanks to a surge in one business segment. The company also left its fiscal 2025 guidance untouched despite other retailers making changes owing to impending tariff implications. Other toymakers warn, though, that tariffs could hurt the entire industry. While many retailers have lowered guidance for this fiscal year in anticipation of President Donald Trump's barrage of tariffs, one toy company is confident it can weather the storm. Hasbro—the toymaker for all ages behind Play-Doh, Monopoly, Nerf, and Dungeons & Dragons—on Thursday reported a strong first quarter for 2025. Revenue was up 17%, and earnings per share beat estimates of $0.67 per share at $1.04. Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks credited the quarter's success to massive growth in its Wizards of the Coast segment, which produces both digital and tabletop games. That segment's revenue surged 46% in Q1 to $462 million. And Hasbro's confidence in Wizards' continued growth is in part why the company left guidance for the year unchanged despite other retailers pulling back out of fear of tariff implications. 'Despite macro uncertainty … Wizards' outperformance, and accelerated cost savings, gives us a line of sight to delivering on our full-year financial commitments,' Hasbro CFO Gina Goetter said during the earnings call. Plus, Wizards has low tariff exposure, with less than $10 million expected in duties for the year, Cocks said during the company's earnings call on Thursday. Most of Hasbro's supply chain is produced in North Carolina and Texas, he explained, with the remainder in Kyoto, Japan. 'While our toys segment faces higher exposure, we're responding proactively,' he said. 'Our asset-light sourcing model means we can rapidly shift production to help mitigate tariff impacts.' Having success with digital products helps Hasbro's revenues, particularly where tariffs are involved. Hasbro benefits from 'an emphasis on digital that limits the impact of tariffs,' David Mayer, senior partner and director of marketing and customer strategy at branding consultancy Lippincott, told Fortune. Rival toy companies have a 'greater percentage of sales in physical toys, which exposes them more to both tariffs and cash-stretched parents cutting back on one-off purchases.' Hasbro also in February unveiled a $1 billion cost-savings plan called Playing to Win, which runs through 2027. The five-pillar plan focuses on building profitable franchises; making more toys that are appealing to people age 13 and older; expanding into emerging markets; building video games; and driving new retail and licensing partnerships. 'We're accelerating our $1 billion cost-savings plan to offset tariff pressures internally,' Cocks said. 'While targeted pricing actions remain likely, we are prioritizing key price points and strengthening retail partnerships.' However, other toymakers aren't as confident their industry can combat the impacts of impending tariffs. 'Hasbro's recent earnings report showcases the strength of their games,' Isaac Larian, founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment, told Fortune. 'But let's be clear: Those numbers don't reflect the storm that's coming.' MGA Entertainment is the maker of Bratz, LOL Surprise, Baby Born, Little Tikes, Rainbow High, and more, and Larian said every major toy company—including his and Hasbro—is heavily reliant on imports, particularly from China. If tariffs remain in place, Larian warned, consumers are in for price increases, and companies should be prepared for shrinking margins. 'Consumers, especially families already feeling squeezed, will be the ones who suffer,' Larian said. 'Come this Christmas, we're looking at major shortages across toy aisles, with prices up by double digits or more.' Mattel, another major toy manufacturer, will announce its latest earnings in early May. This story was originally featured on Sign in to access your portfolio
USA Today
13-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wizards' Bub Carrington caps off historic rookie year with game-winning shot
Wizards' Bub Carrington caps off historic rookie year with game-winning shot Bub Carrington sank the game-winning shot as time expired on Sunday, lifting the Washington Wizards to victory to put the finishing touches on a historic rookie campaign. Carrington produced 15 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and one steal in the 119-118 win over the Miami Heat on the road. He went 6-of-18 from the field, including 3-of-9 from 3-point range, in nearly 41 minutes as the Wizards finished the season 18-64. With the Wizards down one point and 4.4 seconds remaining, Carrington got the ball on the near sideline. He used an array of moves to get past Jaime Jaquez Jr. and into the paint to convert the difficult bank shot, giving the Wizards their first buzzer-beating game-winner since March 7, 2023. Carrington finishes the season averaging 9.8 points, 4.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds on 33.9% shooting from 3-point range. He led all first-year players in minutes per game (30.0) and was tied with Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells for the most 3-pointers (138). The 19-year-old became the fifth rookie in franchise history and the first since Jeff Rutland in the 1981-82 season to play in all 82 games in a season. He is one of 11 players in the league, and the only rookie, to appear in every game this season. Carrington set the rookie franchise record for 3s in a season and a single game (7), to accompany his ironman streak. He looks to be a franchise cornerstone moving forward, following his productive campaign, and should be a lock to make an NBA All-Rookie Team.
USA Today
01-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NBA rookie power rankings: Can Wizards' Alex Sarr catch Stephon Castle?
NBA rookie power rankings: Can Wizards' Alex Sarr catch Stephon Castle? Show Caption Hide Caption 2025 NBA Awards Predictions: Betting Favorites or the Field Can MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander win his first MVP or will Jokic upset the favorite and win his fourth? The Washington Wizards' rebuild is taking shape, and rookie center Alexandre Sarr is giving it even more promise with his late-season surge. There are reasons for Wizards optimism, starting with Sarr. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Sarr has improved offensively as the season has progressed. In 42 games before the All-Star break, Sarr averaged 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 blocks and shot 39.3% from the field, 30.8% on 3-pointers and 64% on free throws. Since the All-Star break in 17 games, Sarr is averaging 17.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 blocks and shooting 41.4% from the field, 35% on 3-pointers and 68.8% on free throws. He had two games scoring at least 20 points before the All-Star break, and he has had seven games with 20 or more points since the break. Washington also has rookies Bub Carrington (acquired with the No. 14 pick), Kyshawn George (acquired with the No. 24 pick) and AJ Johnson (the No. 23 pick by Milwaukee and sent to the Wizards in the Kyle Kuzma trade deadline deal). Second-year wing Bilal Coulibaly took on greater responsibility this season, and it's easier to see potential with the Wizards under a front office led by president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins. The rubble has been replaced by foundation, and the Wizards are in line for another quality player with a top-six lottery pick in the 2025 draft. Here's the latest edition of the USA TODAY Sports' rookie power rankings, with odds to win Rookie of the Year and stats through Sunday's games (odds courtesy of BetMGM): 5. Heat center Kel'el Ware 2024-25 stats: 9.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 56.3% FG, 31.7% 3PT, 69.1% FT As Miami battles to stay competitive in the play-in window, Ware has been an efficient double-double machine, capitalizing on easy buckets as a lob and low-post threat. On Saturday, in a victory over the 76ers, he became just the third rookie in NBA history to record a double-double without missing a single shot. In the game, Ware converted all 6 field goal attempts and finished with 13 points and 14 boards. Odds: +8000 4. Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells 2024-25 stats: 10.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 42.5% FG, 37.5% 3PT, 82.7% FT Although he has started 69 games and has been a steady presence on Memphis, Wells, simply, has seen other rookies outperform him. He has increased his scoring in recent games, but Wells has gone through multiple stretches this season in which he struggled significantly from the floor. Over a three-game stretch in mid-March, he shot 17.9% on the 28 attempts he tried. Odds: +4000 3. Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher 2024-25 stats: 12.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 45.2% FG, 35.0% 3PT, 71.7% FT He has been a big reason for Atlanta's slow crawl up the Eastern Conference, and Sunday's victory over the Bucks — the team ahead of the Hawks in the standings — was a perfect example. Risacher scored a career-high 36 points as a true inside-out threat; not only did he slash and attack the rim at will, he also laced 5-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc. Odds: +1000 2. Wizards center Alex Sarr 2024-25 stats: 13.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 40.0% FG, 32.2% 3PT, 66.0% FT In Sarr's past 10 games and at 27.7 minutes per game, he is averaging 19.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 blocks and shooting 44.9% from the field, 36.9% on 3s and 76.9% on free throws. He also has five games with least 20 points in that stretch including a career-high 34 points against Denver March 15. Odds: +900 1. Spurs guard Stephon Castle 2024-25 stats: 14.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 42.5% FG, 38.4% 3PT, 71.4% FT Though the Spurs have fallen on hard times, Castle has remained the bright spot of the season. He will still have the occasional inefficient shooting night that results in single-digit scoring, but Castle has scored at least 15 points in 15 of his last 18 games. One of the more promising indicators about his future is his propensity to draw fouls and get to the line; he leads all rookies with 4.0 free throws per game, though that number has jumped to 5.9 per game over his last 18. Odds: -800
See - Sada Elbalad
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
"Wizards Beyond Waverly Place" Renewed for Season 2
Yara Sameh 'Wizards Beyond Waverly Place' has been renewed for a second season at Disney Channel and Disney+. The followup to the classic Disney sitcom 'Wizards of Waverly' place originally debuted in October 2024. Production on the new season of the Disney Branded Television series will begin in May in Los Angeles. 'I'm overwhelmed by all the love for the series and ready to keep serving this new generation of 'Wizards' fans with more Russo magic, while continuing to deliver a big warm hug to the original fan!' said executive producer and series star David Henrie. 'So many surprises in store for this second season. It's going to be big, so stay tuned!'. Henrie reprised the role of Justin Russo in the new series, and is joined by castmates Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, Max Matenko, Taylor Cora, and Mimi Gianopulos. The official description of the series states that it 'follows an adult Justin Russo, who has chosen to lead a normal, mortal life with his family, Giada (Gianopulos), Roman (Thiele) and Milo (Matenko). When Justin's sister Alex (Selena Gomez) brings Billie (Brown) to his home seeking help, Justin realizes he must dust off his magical skills to mentor the wizard-in-training while also juggling his everyday responsibilities — and safeguarding the future of the Wizard World.' Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas serve as writers and executive producers, along with executive producers Gary Marsh, Jonas Agin, Gomez and Henrie. 'Wizards of Waverly Place' was created by Todd Greenwald. Per Disney, the first episode of 'Wizards Beyond Waverly Place' was the Disney Channel's most-watched series premiere ever on Disney+, drawing 3.2 million views in its first 12 days. A view is defined as total runtime divided by hours viewed. It also drew 2.3 million views when it was posted in full to YouTube. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) News Israeli PM Diagnosed with Stage 3 Prostate Cancer Lifestyle Maguy Farah Reveals 2025 Expectations for Pisces News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Washington Post
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Wizards' Jordan Poole puts on one-man show, but he can't beat Heat alone
Midway through the fourth quarter of Monday night's 120-94 loss to the Miami Heat, the Washington Wizards' box score read something like this: Jordan Poole: A lot. Everybody else: Not much. Poole, who broke the franchise's single-season record for threes in the first quarter, scored a game-high 35 points. The Wizards did not have another player in double-digits until there was just 2:19 left in the game. Despite not playing in the fourth quarter, Poole led all scorers as the Wizards took their third straight loss. The Heat (34-41) had the game's next four top scorers, led by Bam Adebayo with 28 points and Tyler Herro with 27. The defeat at Capital One Arena dropped the Wizards to 16-59, the second-worst record in the NBA. They remain a half-game better than the Utah Jazz, which is 16-60 after losing to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Outside of Poole, the Wizards shot 24 for 69 from the field and 6 for 30 from three. 'To be honest, we missed some shots tonight. We were just out of rhythm, could never really get it going,' Coach Brian Keefe said. 'We missed some chippies, some easy ones around the rim. We missed some open threes. … Sometimes the game is going to go that way.' Poole's third three of the game and 224th of the season broke Bradley Beal's record from 2016-17. He received the game ball. 'It was a goal at the beginning of the year,' he told reporters after the game. '... Really dope accomplishment. A lot of hard work went into it.' The accomplishment continues a resurgent season for Poole, who is shooting a career-best 38.1 percent from three. During his time with the Golden State Warriors, the guard briefly seemed poised to join Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the 'Splash Brothers.' Poole had a rocky first season with Washington in part because he shot just 32.6 percent from deep, the lowest mark since his rookie season. He worked on his shooting off the dribble entering the season, recognizing that he had to create more shots by himself as the Wizards' No. 1 option. 'I feel like I'm years behind when it comes to just reps and time spent in the gym,' said Poole, who was praised by Keefe for his work ethic. 'I feel I'm playing catch up. … It doesn't help that I was with Steph and Klay … my first couple of years as well. So it's definitely a motivational tactic that I use that I always have: not being complacent and not being satisfied.' Here's what else to know about the Wizards' loss: Vukcevic shows improvement Tristan Vukcevic was the only other Wizard to reach double digits. The second-year big man, whom Washington took in the second round in 2023, scored 14 points on 6-for-13 shooting. He added four rebounds. But the 22-year-old remained displeased with his performance after the game. 'A lot of things,' he said when asked where he could improve. 'I think I wasn't focused from the jump. I missed a lot of shots that I should make and had some leakouts on the defensive end. And that's just a learning progress.' But overall, Vukcevic remained proud of his improvement. His minutes per game have more than doubled since the all-star break. He has averaged 10.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from three. 'I think I've been doing pretty good,' he said. 'Obviously there's a lot of room for improvement. I'm still young. I didn't play the first half of the season, so [I'm] just gaining my confidence back and trusting the work I put in.' Dawkins honored Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins was honored by the Greater Washington Urban League on Friday at its annual gala. Dawkins received the 'Beacon of Grace' award from the civil rights and urban advocacy organization, according to a press release from the Urban League.
