Barbie drives 6 percent rise in Mattel net income

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Toy maker Mattel Inc. said today that strong sales worldwide of its iconic Barbie brand and "Cars 2" toys helped third-quarter net income rise nearly 6 percent.

The Barbie doll has been a strong seller for the largest U.S. toy company for the past two years. Barbie sales rose 17 percent worldwide. Disney Princess and Monster High dolls, a line of dolls that are offspring of famous monsters, also continued to be big sellers, the El Segundo, Calif.-based company said.

The company said its net income rose to $300.8 million, or 86 cents per share, for the three months ended Sept. 30. That compares with $283.3 million or 77 cents per share last year. Earnings matched analyst expectations, according to a FactSet poll.

Its shares rose 2 cents to $27.80 in premarket trading.

Revenue rose 9 percent to nearly $2 billion from $1.83 billion a year ago. Analysts expected $1.97 billion. Sales rose 6 percent in the U.S. and 13 percent internationally.

Revenue from Mattel's entertainment division, which includes games and puzzles, rose 14 percent, mostly due to "Cars 2" toys.