Stock news for investors: Spin Master, Empire, and Roots make major deals
Spin Master buys Hapiko, Empire expands its pharmacy business, and Roots agrees to a $4.10-per-share go-private deal.
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Spin Master buys Hapiko, Empire expands its pharmacy business, and Roots agrees to a $4.10-per-share go-private deal.
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Spin Master Corp. has brokered a deal to purchase the maker of a viral toy that turns voice commands into stickers. The Toronto-based toy company says it will acquire Hapiko Inc., the Brooklyn-headquartered firm behind the Stickerbox.
Spin Master did not reveal exactly what it will pay for Hapiko, but spokesperson Tammy Smitham says in an email that the deal is valued between US$35 million and US$50 million. She says the transaction is expected to close later this month.
Spin Master says it wanted to buy Hapiko to give kids access to creative tools that will bring their imaginations to life in new ways. Stickerbox uses artificial intelligence and voice-to-image technology to transform spoken ideas into stickers kids can colour, collect, and adhere to surfaces. Spin Master says the toy, which is available on Hapiko’s website for US$129, has sold out 13 times since launching in late 2025.
Sobeys parent company Empire Co. Ltd. says it is buying nine Morelli’s pharmacies in Ontario that are already situated within some Longo’s grocery stores. It says each of those pharmacies will be integrated into Sobeys National Pharmacy operations and will be rebranded as a Longo’s Pharmacy.
All nine pharmacies are located in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton.
The company did not share the cost of acquisition.
Empire has set plans to expand its pharmacy and discount grocer footprint under new CEO Pierre St-Laurent’s leadership.
Empire says the acquisition remains subject to closing conditions, including regulatory approvals from the Ontario College of Pharmacists and is expected to close in the second quarter of fiscal 2027.
Roots Corp. says it has agreed to a go-private transaction led by Marquee Brands for $4.10 per share. As part of the transaction, Marquee Brands partnered with JM&A Design and Development Inc., an operating company led by Joe Mimran, known for founding clothing brands including Joe Fresh, as well as retail veteran Frank Rocchetti.
Under the terms of the deal, JM&A will acquire all issued and outstanding common shares of Roots. Marquee Brands CEO Heath Golden says he sees significant global opportunities to extend Roots into new categories, markets, and consumer segments.
Roots announced a strategic review in March, where the board said it would study a range of possibilities, including a possible sale.
The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter and is subject to court and regulatory approvals as well as other closing conditions, with a shareholder vote expected in October.
Lundin Mining Corp. has trimmed its guidance after a second winter storm in Chile’s Atacama region that has affected production at its Caserones mine.
The company says it now expects copper production at Caserones this year to total 120,000 to 130,000 tonnes, down from an earlier forecast for 130,000 to 140,000 tonnes. Lundin also sees cash costs at Caserones rising to $2.15 to $2.35 per pound of copper, up from earlier guidance for $2.05 to $2.25 per pound.
Lundin chief executive Jack Lundin says northern Chile has experienced an unprecedented series of winter storms, with significant impacts on communities across the Atacama region and at Caserones. After a storm in late July that caused a power outage at Caserones, a second outage occurred last week when severe winds and heavy snowfall re-damaged a transmission tower.
The company’s consolidated copper production for 2026 is now expected to total 300,000 to 325,000 tonnes, down from 310,000 to 335,000, while cash costs are expected to be $1.95 to $2.15 per pound of copper, up from $1.90 to $2.10.
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