(Reuters) - Prices of Mattel Inc toys like Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars have gone up as the company tries to compensate for increasing costs for materials like resin and rising wages in China. CHICAGO, April 4 (Reuters) - Toys R Us Inc [TOY.UL] said on Monday that Neil Friedman, who just left toymaker Mattel Inc , is joining the company as president of its U.S. business. Shares of Mattel ( MAT ) are on watch after peer Hasbro set a negative tone on the toy sector by preannouncing Q4 earnings . Though Hasbro didn't offer a significant amount of color on holiday sales, consumer demand for physical toys appears to have weakened. MAT -0.3% premarket. 1 comment! (Reuters) - Mattel Inc will buy Hit Entertainment -- the maker of the popular Thomas & Friends and Bob the Builder toys -- for $680 million from a consortium led by private equity fund Apax Partners. A portfolio of widely demanded toy brands should keep Mattel's success intact. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mattel Inc , the world's largest toy company, reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on strong sales of its Barbie dolls and toys based on the "Cars 2" movie. Zacks.com submits: Mattel Inc. ( MAT ) the world’s largest manufacturer of toys is slated to release its fourth-quarter results on Wednesday, February 2, before the opening bell. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the fourth quarter is 86 cents per share, representing an annualized growth of ... *** enter disclosure *** More on Mattel's ( MAT ) Q1: The toy company saw revenue gains of 5% Y/Y in North America and 9% internationally. By brands, a strong performance by American Girl helped offset slips with Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price. ( PR ) Post your comment! Mattel ( MAT -0.5% ) looks to merge the physical and digital toy landscape with a new iPad game featuring pressure-sensitive Batman figures that can attach to iPads and interact with an app. Post your comment!