Fans of the Warhammer franchise helped propel sales for Games Workshop over the summer. The Nottingham-headquartered miniatures, books and games business said the three month summer trading period had been ahead of previous expectations 鈥 and said it planned to reward its shareholders with a dividend payout as a result.
The listed business said its core revenues rose by 14 per cent to 拢121 million over the three months to the end of August, compared with revenues of 拢106 million a year earlier.
It also recorded licensing revenue of 拢6 million for the quarter, up from 拢3 million last year.
As a result, Games Workshop said it expects pre-tax profits of 拢57 million, up from 拢39 million in the same quarter last year.
In a statement, the group said: 鈥淭he board recognises that this performance is better than the prior year but is also aware that it is still early in the financial year.
鈥淎 further update will be given as appropriate.鈥
On Friday, Games Workshop said it would pay out a 50p dividend per share to its investors.
The move, which the company said is in line with its policy to distribute 鈥渢ruly surplus cash鈥, take total dividends declared to 拢1.95 per share this year.
Jefferies analyst Andrew Wade said: 鈥淎n exceptional Q1, particularly given foreign exchange rates have moved to being a headwind, and clearly supported by the very successful launch of 40k 10th edition 鈥楲eviathan鈥.
鈥淲hile upgrades have been very much anticipated by the market, this Q1 beat is more than we could have expected.鈥
Games Workshop has been in talks over a film and TV tie-in with Amazon.
At the end of last year it said it wanted to bring the worlds of its huge Warhammer brand to the screen 鈥渓ike you have never seen before鈥.
Back then it said it had 鈥渞eached an agreement in principle鈥 for Amazon to adapt its games into movies and TV programmes, which would initially involve developing the Warhammer 40,000 universe 鈥 the tabletop game based around 鈥渄ark, futuristic warfare鈥.
It was even reported that Henry Cavill was set to star in and executive produce the adaptation, after he confirmed he will not be returning to play Superman.
