Briefs

Movies help toy company
COPENHAGEN: Harry Potter and Star Wars building sets helped Lego return to growth in 2018, along with strong sales in China, where the privately-owned Danish toymaker plans to open new stores. Sales at Lego, known around the world for its colorful plastic bricks, dropped for the first time in a decade in 2017, but it ended 2018 stronger after gaining market share.

Firm plans to boost business
SEOUL: Hyundai said it plans to boost the core automotive businesses’ operating profit margin to 7 per cent by 2022, compared with 2.1 per cent in 2018, as part of its mid- to long-term plan. The automaker said it also plans to invest US$40.48 billion (K136 billion) over the next five years in research and development, capital expenditure and future growth areas such as autonomous driving technologies, vehicle electrification and mobility services. – Agencies