Shares of Hasbro Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), the second-largest U.S. toymaker, rose sharply on Monday after the company reported better-than-expected second-quarter profit, driven by better inventory management and market share gains.
HAS, which owns brands such as Monopoly and G.I. Joe, said that it reduced inventory levels in the first two quarters of the year.
For the second quarter of 2012, Hasbro reported net profit of $43.4 million, or $0.33 per share, down from $58 million, or $0.42 per share reported for the same period last year. Analysts were expecting the toymaker to report earnings per share of $0.23 for the second quarter.
Brian Goldner, CEO of Hasbro, said that in the U.S. and Canada, the company has gained market share and the teams are focused on returning to historical levels of operating profit.
Hasbro’s total sales for the second quarter of 2012 dropped 11% to $811.5 million, below analysts’ estimate of $828.6 million. Revenue at the company’s U.S. and Canada segment dropped 19% to $406.6 million.
Goldner said that as the company enters the second half of the year, it has innovative brand initiatives across product categories and geographies. Goldner added that for the full year, HAS continues to believe, absent the impact of foreign exchange, it will again grow revenues and earnings per share.
Hasbro shares rose to an intra-day high of $36.46 on Monday before finishing the day 3.99% higher at $35.19 on above average volume of 7.03 million.
Year-to-date, Hasbro shares have gained 10.35%, compared to a gain of 10.93% for the Nasdaq. In the same period, Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) shares have gained 23.69%.
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