Succesful year behind Lego

Profit before special items, financial income and expenses and tax amounted to 1,471 million, sales rose by 3 percent to 8.03 billion kroner (US$1.58 billion).

The biggest increases were seen in the
classic product lines LEGO City, LEGO Technic and LEGO Creator as
well as LEGO Star Wars, the Billund, Denmark-based company said.

Earnings were weighed down by a higher
tax rate in 2007 than in 2006, Lego said.

"The trends of stagnation and
recession seen in the U.S. during the last six months of 2007 seem to
continue in 2008," the company said, adding that a negative
development in the U.S. could only partly be compensated for through
gains in Europe and Asia.