Strong holiday demand for toys including Barbie and Monster High dolls helped push Mattel Inc.'s fourth-quarter profit up a better-than-expected 14 percent. But there were a few lumps of coal in the report, as US sales dipped and weakness continued at its Fisher-Price unit.

The holiday quarter is crucial for toy makers, who can make up to half of their annual sales during the period.

Mattel, which is the number one US toymaker, reported on Tuesday that its net income rose to USD370.6 million, or USD1.07 per share, for the period ended on 31 Dec. That's up from USD325.2m, or 89 cents per share, a year ago.