US Stock Alert: Charles River soared on October 6 as Apollo release, Autolomous collaboration, and laboratory digitalization drove gains

According to Nikkei: Honda and Nissan have each partnered with American AI startups to develop next-generation vehicle software.

Neil J Kanatt, Reuters, October 6 - On Tuesday, shares of Mattel (MAT.O) dropped about 3% after investor Ariel Investments urged the toy maker to explore strategic options including a sale, merger, or divestiture of key assets. This move increased pressure on Mattel. Last week, the company announced CEO Ynon Kreiz would step down, which has sparked renewed acquisition interest in the company. Details are as follows: Ariel, which holds a 5.4% stake, said in a letter that Mattel’s stock remains significantly undervalued and that its portfolio could be attractive to other toy companies, entertainment firms, or private equity funds. A source told Reuters that last week, Authentic Brands—owner of brands such as Reebok, Brooks Brothers, and Guess—approached Mattel for a potential acquisition, valuing the company at around $6 billions or higher. This is the second time this year that investors have pushed for a strategic review. In May, Southeast Asset Management also urged Mattel to consider options including privatization, a sale to Hasbro (HAS.O), or selling to a media company. Mattel has faced pressures from weakened toy demand and rising tariff-related costs in recent years. The company stated it would "consider the views expressed in Ariel Investments’ letter" while "acting in the best interests of all shareholders." "The debate is increasingly focused on a central issue: are Mattel’s brands worth more inside the company or in someone else’s hands? Investors want evidence showing the company is worth more as a whole than the sum of its parts," said Brian Jacobsen, Chief Economist at Annex Wealth Management. According to data compiled by London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Mattel’s current share price is $15.65 and its forward price-to-earnings ratio is 10.45, compared to Hasbro’s P/E ratio of 14.35. (For the convenience of non-English speakers, Reuters provides automated translations of its reports in several languages. Because automated translations may contain errors or lack the necessary context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated texts and provides them only for readers' convenience. Reuters accepts no responsibility for any damage or loss arising from the use of automated translation features.)

Latest Developments October 6th – Constellation Energy's stock price (CEG.O) surged 12.2% to $300.3. If the rally holds, this would mark the company's largest single-day gain since April 2025. Alphabet, Google’s parent company (GOOGL.O), reached a multi-year agreement with CEG to purchase 3,590 megawatts of electricity from Constellation (link). The deal includes over $4.3 billions in new investment by Constellation and will expand the power generation capacity of several nuclear reactors in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. GOOGL signed a 20-year agreement to purchase 890 megawatts of electricity from multiple CEG nuclear plants, along with an additional long-term power supply deal for 2,700 megawatts. Out of 23 brokerage firms, 20 rate CEG as "buy" or higher, while 3 recommend "hold"; the median target price is $341.62, according to LSEG compiled data. Including today’s movement, CEG shares are down 15.1% year-to-date, while GOOGL is up 10.7% for the year. (For reader convenience, Reuters has automatically translated this report into several languages. Automated translations may contain errors or lack the intended context, and Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of automated translation. The automated translation is provided solely for reader convenience. Reuters assumes no responsibility for any damage or loss arising from the use of the automated translation function.)