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Globe Investor

A humorous look at the companies that caught our eye, for better or worse, this week

Mattel (Dog)

Taking away a kid’s toy is a sure way to spark a meltdown. But it’s nothing compared with the meltdown in toy maker Mattel’s stock. Hurt by a weak holiday season and unfavourable currency trends, the maker of Barbie and Hot Wheels posted an 8-per-cent drop in fourth-quarter sales and 20-per-cent skid in earnings, sending the shares to their biggest one-day retreat in eight years. With Mattel’s loss of the Disney Princess licence also hitting sales, investors are crying for their mommies.

MAT (Nasdaq), $26.49 (U.S.), down $3.53 or 11.8% over week

Dow Jones Industrial Average (Star)

Sure, it's just a big, round number with a lot of zeros in it, but crossing above 20,000 is significant for the Dow Jones industrial average because, well … because it's a big round number with a lot of zeros in it. Actually, there is one major benefit: Now that this particular milestone is behind us, we won't have to listen to any more market pundits gushing about the Dow hitting an important number – until it reaches 25,000, which could be next week the way things are going.

Dow Jones ind. avg., 20,093.78, up 266.53 or 1.3% over week

Rogers Communications (Star)

Business quiz! Shares of Rogers Communications surged after:

a) Blue Jays star Jose Bautista promised to pay back his $18.5-million (U.S.) salary if he fails to hit at least 30 home runs this year;

b) Netflix announced plans to acquire Rogers and offer free cable service as a bonus to Netflix subscribers;

c) Rogers added 93,000 postpaid wireless customers in the fourth quarter – the most since 2009 – as average revenue per user also rose.

Answer: c.

RCI.B (TSX), $56.77; up $3.97 or 7.5% over week

Methanex (Star)

Drinking methyl alcohol – aka methanol – can kill you. But investing in methanol can do wonders for your financial health. Shares of Methanex – the world's largest producer of methanol, which is used in an array of products including paints, sealants, antifreeze, solvents and fuels – soared after the company swung to a $24-million profit in the fourth quarter on the strength of higher methanol prices. Shareholder will drink to that.

MX (TSX), $66.01; up $6.33 or 10.6% over week

Starbucks (Dog)

Shares of Starbucks are suddenly leaving a bitter taste in investors' mouths. The world's biggest purveyor of overpriced and hard-to-pronounce coffee said U.S. same-store sales rose 3 per cent in the quarter ended Jan. 1, missing expectations of a 4-per-cent rise as price increases masked a 2-per-cent drop in traffic. With Starbucks falling short of U.S. sales expectations for the fifth consecutive quarter, rattled investors are giving up coffee for hard liquor.

SBUX (Nasdaq), $56.12 (U.S.); down $1.54 or 2.7% over week