Mattel (NYSE: MAT) is the world’s largest toy manufacturer.^[1] Mattel makes some of the best known brands in the toy industry, including Barbie, Matchbox, Fisher-Price and Hot Wheels. In fiscal 2010, Mattel reported net sales of $5.856 billion and net income of $684.9 million.

In addition to the threat from video games, profit margins at Mattel and other traditional toy manufacturers are being squeezed by macro-economic factors largely out of their control, including pressure from retailers and rising input and distribution costs.^[2] The retail landscape for toys has shifted and specialty retailers such as Toys'R'Us and FAO Schwartz are slowly adopting to the shift in childrens' entertainment towards video games. Behemoth discount retailer Wal-Mart (WMT) is currently the largest retailer of children's toys in the U.S., a shift which has pressured Mattel's margins as Wal-Mart demands low prices from its suppliers. Additionally, fluctuations in oil prices affect input costs for making plastic-based toys as well as distribution costs for transporting products from factories in Asia to other parts of the world.

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