Mattel Inc. and Hasbro Inc., the two biggest toy makers in the U.S., have held talks about a possible merger, according to a new report from the Bloomberg news agency.
Mattel makes Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars, while Hasbro makes Disney Princess dolls and action figures based on Star Wars among other franchises. The companies have a combined market valuation of more than US$20 billion.
Hasbro approached Mattel about a potential transaction late last year, the Bloomberg report said, and the companies have held talks about a deal since then.
If it happened, the merger would create the largest toy maker in the world.
This is not the first time the companies have held merger talks. In 1996, Mattel had offered to buy Hasbro for approximately US$5.2 billion, but later withdrew the offer.
