New York, May 29, 2026, 15:01 EDT
- JAKKS Pacific shares dropped 3.1% to $22.16 Friday afternoon, trailing bigger toy makers.
- The stock traded ex-dividend on May 29, which was the first day buyers weren’t eligible for the next dividend.
- Weaker North America sales weighed on the company’s latest quarter, but faster international growth helped cushion the results.
JAKKS Pacific shares dropped Friday, with the toy maker trading ex-dividend. The light volume drew new focus as the stock tried to hang onto gains after its mixed first-quarter numbers.
Shares of the Santa Monica, California-based firm dropped 3.1% to $22.16 in afternoon trading. The stock opened at $22.63, climbed to $22.80, and then fell back to an intraday low of $22.16, market data showed.
Why now? May 29 is the ex-dividend date for the stock — buyers from that day forward don’t get the next declared quarterly payout of 25 cents per share. Google Finance puts the yield at 4.52% and the company’s market cap at about $253 million.
JAKKS said last month its board set a 25-cent quarterly dividend. It’s due June 29 for holders on record May 29. The payout is part of why some investors look at the small toy and costume maker, though dividend dates sometimes see shares dip as the price moves with the payout.
JAKKS lagged larger rivals. Mattel added 1.1% to $15.05. Hasbro ticked up 0.1% to $86.47. Small caps overall stayed weak, with the iShares Russell 2000 ETF off 0.9%. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF inched up.
JAKKS’s latest numbers from April 30 are still the main story. The company posted first-quarter net sales of $106.7 million, a 6% drop from last year. Toy and consumer products sales slipped 7% while costume sales climbed 13%. Gross margin came in at 33.4%, down 100 basis points. A basis point equals one-hundredth of a percent.
Chief Executive Stephen Berman told analysts there was still “a degree of caution from U.S. accounts,” with retailers weighing the state of the consumer. He said international sales reached $29 million, climbing 38% from last year. Fool
JAKKS’ filings give investors more to weigh as the story unfolds. The quarterly report put shares outstanding at 11.44 million as of May 1 and confirmed its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. JAKKS posted a net loss of $4.3 million for the first quarter, or 37 cents per share. That compares to a net loss of $2.4 million, or 21 cents a share, in the same period last year.
Management is relying on overseas growth and licensed items as U.S. buyers stay cautious. Berman said it was the company’s strongest EMEA quarter since 2015 and the best in France and Spain in over 15 years. EMEA covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Costs are still an issue. CFO John Kimble told analysts JAKKS paid between $1 million and $2 million in U.S. tariffs for the quarter, up from under $100,000 a year ago. Higher diesel prices may keep shipping costs high, Kimble said. That tightens the margin for error if U.S. retailers remain careful or if holiday demand falls short.
Execution matters more now than the dividend. JAKKS’ investor site lists recent company updates about Licensing Expo prototypes, a longer Black+Decker toy licensing deal, and Super Mario products. The focus looks to be on licensing deals in the calendar, not a big short-term event.
