Lego dividend built on strong growth Lego paid out a dividend of DKr14.6m per share in 2012 - one of the highest of any company in the world - as the Danish toymaker strongly increased both revenues and profits. The maker of billions of toy bricks each year increased its dividend by 20 per cent from 2011 but as it only has 205 shares outstanding its total payout was DKr3bn. The privately owned toymaker is 75 per cent owned by Kirkbi, the investment company of the family of the founder of the Danish group. The increased dividend reflected a robust year in which Lego defied much of the gloom in the toy sector by increasing its revenues by 25 per cent to DKr23.4bn and operating profit by 29 per cent to DKr8bn. Lego had particularly strong growth from its controversial Friends series of building sets, which are designed to appeal especially to girls. They became the fourth-biggest selling sets behind Lego City, Star Wars and its relatively new Ninjago range. It is a highly satisfactory result and better than we expected at the beginning of the year. This is due, first and foremost, to the fact that we were able to develop and launch products that children all over the world have put at the top of their wish lists in 2012," said Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, chief executive. Lego is increasingly shifting its production to low-cost countries - it is building a new factory in Hungary and expanding one in the Czech Republic. Earlier this year it announced it is closing its packing facilities at its Billund headquarters in the next two-and-a-half years but is investing in its moulding and engineering works there. Lego said it expected sales to increase in 2013 but not at the pace they did in 2012 because of the challenging global economic situation. Saying it expects a "satisfactory result for the full year," it added: "In 2013 the Lego Group expects that the global financial development will continue to impact the toy market in general. The financial situation in western and southern parts of Europe, and in North America, will continue to be under pressure, while Asia and eastern parts of Europe are expected to experience robust growth.