Foreign Sales Lift Mattel Profit

Mattel Inc. said its fourth-quarter profit jumped 51% to $14.7 million on a 19% increase in sales. For all of 1990, the El Segundo-based toy maker said strong domestic and international toy sales pushed profits up nearly 33% to $91.2 million--despite problems with ailing retailers that prompted the company to set aside $21 million in the quarter to cover bad debts. The firm attributed its gains to extremely strong international sales.