Games Workshop, one of the most lucrative stocks in U.K. history, on Wednesday said its profit rose at least 17% in the just-completed financial year, topping analyst expectations.
The maker of the Warhammer tabletop games GAW, 10.02% in a brief statement said that in the year ending June 2, its pretax profit rose to at least £200 million ($255 million) from £171 million, on core revenue of at least £490 million — up from £445 million, and licensing income of £30 million, up from £25 million.
Analysts polled by FactSet expected pretax earnings of £190 million on sales of £492 million.
Shares surged 8% in London, making it the best-performing Stoxx Europe 600 XX:SXXP stock.
Since its 1994 initial public offering, the company’s returns have been eye-popping — total returns have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 21%, trouncing the 9% return for the FTSE All-Share over the same time period, according to FactSet data.
The company has been lucrative for its employees as well. It said it’s paying £18 million in cash bonuses equally to all its staff, which totaled 2,700 last year.