Projo Biz Blog

Pawtucket-based Hasbro Inc., the maker of Monopoly and Clue board games, said second-quarter profit surged after the toymaker recorded costs a year earlier to end part of a contract with "Star Wars" director George Lucas.

Net income increased to $37.5 million, or 25 cents a share, from $4.8 million, or 3 cents, in 2007's second quarter. Profit was helped as Hasbro sold action figures tied to the "Iron Man" and Indiana Jones movies released earlier this year.

"Movie tie-ins are more instrumental in driving sales than maybe they have historically," Chris White, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles, said in an interview.

Revenue rose to $784.3 million from $691.4 million.

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