• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998

1

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
Finance

What is Genius Brands? The stock rose over 2,000% in the past month

Anne Sraders
By
Anne Sraders
Anne Sraders
Down Arrow Button Icon
Anne Sraders
By
Anne Sraders
Anne Sraders
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 5, 2020, 7:30 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Genius Brands International, a children’s media company, has seen its stock skyrocket an incredible 2,000% in the past month. But upon news of a stock sale on Thursday, the company lost a winning streak with investors.

The media company produces and markets animated children’s shows and other brands, including Rainbow Rangers on Nick Jr., Llama Llama on Netflix, and Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, voiced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, soon on Amazon Prime and Alibaba.

The company’s stock has seen a massive surge since May 1, and volume has been high amid a flurry of announcements. One catalyst? In May, Genius Brands said on June 15 it would be launching a network called Kartoon Channel, which CEO Andy Heyward described in a letter to shareholders as “‘Netflix for kids,’ except it is free,” that would be available on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon, and other platforms. The company also announced it would be selling toys for its show Rainbow Rangers, developed with Mattel, at Walmart this summer.

The Beverly Hills–based company has also announced four stock sales in May (including a $9 million direct offering to shareholders on May 18). Though the stock jumped 97% from Tuesday’s close to Wednesday, it broke its bullish streak Thursday after Genius Brands announced the company had registered a sale of up to 60.1 million shares by stockholders. By the close on Thursday the stock was down over 13%, closing at $6.86 per share.

“We are not selling any securities in this offering, and we will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock by the selling stockholders,” Genius Brands said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

While investors have obviously responded well to the news releases in the past month, the stock has become a favorite among short-sellers—and has also drawn the ire of short-seller Citron Research, which tweeted Thursday, predicting the stock would go to “$1…fast.”

https://twitter.com/CitronResearch/status/1268535667811708928?s=20

The stock had, until recently, been out of compliance with the Nasdaq’s rule for stocks to trade at no less than $1 per share, trading at $0.31 on May 1, but announced on May 28 that it had regained compliance—narrowly avoiding being delisted—by trading above $1 for 10 days straight.

It seems some investors, at least, weren’t too happy to have missed the rally on the way up.

https://twitter.com/murphyferguson/status/1268230556225024000?s=21

Genius Brands’ stock trading was halted on the Nasdaq numerous times on Wednesday and Thursday amid volatility.

More must-read finance coverage from Fortune:

  • Americans who don’t file taxes have until Oct. 15 to sign up for stimulus checks
  • How much of the bear market loss has been recovered?
  • Over 42.6 million Americans have filed for unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic
  • China’s economy should return to “near-trend growth” by the end of 2020: BlackRock
  • PPP forgiveness: Lenders push for loans under $150,000 to be turned into grants
  • WATCH: Why banks were ready for the financial impact of the coronavirus
About the Author
Anne Sraders
By Anne Sraders
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Trump Accounts are now available for kids. Here’s where the money will be invested in the stock market—in line with Warren Buffett’s advice
InvestingStock
Trump Accounts are now available for kids. Here’s where the money will be invested in the stock market—in line with Warren Buffett’s advice
By Jason MaJuly 4, 2026
3 hours ago
Iran’s envoy to China says Beijing to get Hormuz concessions
EnergyOil
Iran’s envoy to China says Beijing to get Hormuz concessions
By BloombergJuly 4, 2026
4 hours ago
Ukrainian drones target more Russian oil infrastructure as fuel crisis adds political pressure on Putin, who shrugs off attacks as ‘not critical’
EnergyUkraine invasion
Ukrainian drones target more Russian oil infrastructure as fuel crisis adds political pressure on Putin, who shrugs off attacks as ‘not critical’
By The Associated PressJuly 4, 2026
5 hours ago
Costco CEO promises the $1.50 hot dog isn’t going away: ‘The price will not change as long as I’m around’
RetailCostco
Costco CEO promises the $1.50 hot dog isn’t going away: ‘The price will not change as long as I’m around’
By Sydney LakeJuly 4, 2026
6 hours ago
Older worker sad at laptop
SuccessGen X
A quarter of young baby boomers and Gen Xers who’ve been laid off in the last decade are still unemployed—and 11% have taken pay cuts to work
By Emma BurleighJuly 4, 2026
6 hours ago
t
AsiaWhite House
‘I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!’ Trump’s pre-July 4 Friday news dump included pardons for 11 people including ex-Abramoff partner
By Michelle L. Price and The Associated PressJuly 4, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
2 days ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
12 hours ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
Economy
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
2 days ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
Success
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
7 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.