COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Danish toy maker Lego on Wednesday said its profit in the first half of 2010 jumped almost 64 percent as the family-owned company continued to see strong growth in demand.
Net profit for the first six months of 2010 came to 1.12 billion kroner ($192 million) up from 684 million kroner for the same period last year.
Sales, mainly of its popular plastic building blocks, rose 34 percent to 5.88 billion kroner from a previous 4.37 billion kroner. Classic product lines like Lego City, Lego Star Wars, Lego Technic and Lego Duplo generated the largest sales.
The company, based in Billund, Denmark, said it is optimistic that the sales growth will continue into the second part of 2010 with the group's peak season during the Christmas sales.
"It is too early to indicate a likely result for the year as a whole but based on results for the year so far we have every reason to have very positive expectations," CEO Joergen Vid Knudstorp said in a statement.
The group said it achieved double digit growth rates in almost all markets, adding the global market for traditional toys grew by approximately 2 percent during the first six months of 2010.
Lego said its market share of the global market share corresponded to 5 percent.
The group does not release quarterly figures.
