My Little Pony sales help Hasbro show a jump in quarterly profits
MY LITTLE Pony and other toys aimed at girls have helped Hasbro beat profit forecasts in the first three months of the year.
The 31-year-old pony franchise pushed revenues from girls’ toys up by more than a fifth to $138.7m (£82.5m), the US company said yesterday.
The fortunes of My Little Pony contrast with those of Barbie, whose maker Mattel last week reported a 14 per cent decline in sales of the dolls.
Meanwhile, Hasbro’s sales of boys’ toys were up two per cent to $247.8m, with Nerf guns still proving popular while the Beyblade franchise dwindles further.
And despite a rise in sales of Monopoly, total games revenue fell four per cent to $220.5m during the first quarter.
Overall revenues rose two per cent to $679.5m, as a dip in North American turnover was more than offset by international toy sales and licensing revenues.
Hasbro swung to a first-quarter profit of $32.1m, compared to a $6.7m net loss a year ago when the company was restructuring.