Mattel thwarted restive shareholders by inviting one of them to come inside and play. Hours after Semafor reported that investor Southeastern Asset Management was preparing a boardroom fight, the toymaker said it had signed a cooperation agreement with another of its big investors, EdgePoint Investment Group, to put one of the Canadian firm’s top partners on its board.
By bringing EdgePoint into the boardroom, Mattel secures an 18% stockholding in friendly hands. That neutralizes the threats brought on by Southeastern and other investors, including John Rogers’ Ariel Investments, which has pushed for a sale. It’s not a failsafe, but a start. Scoreboard: Mattel, 1. Activists, 0.