Barbie carried the day for Mattel.
Sales of the nearly 60-year-old doll soared 14 percent in North America in the third quarter — up from 12 percent in the previous quarter — while its other major brands, including American Girl, Fisher-Price and Hot Wheels flopped.
Demand for Barbie, who now comes in different skin tones and body types, fueled a 6 percent rise in gross sales in North America, the biggest such jump in 11 quarters, crowed Mattel chief executive Ynon Kreiz.
Mattel just formed a film division to leverage its big brands, and a Barbie movie is among its top priorities.
“Barbie continued its strong momentum,” Kreiz said during an earnings call with analysts.
Mattel shares rose by more than 8 percent in after hours trading and closed up 3 percent to $13.84 on Thursday.


