COLLECTIBLES firm Hornby is to pay a dividend to shareholders this summer after reporting a better-than-expected finish to its financial year.
The group, which owns brands including Airfix, Humbrol and Scalextric, did not pay a full-year dividend in 2009 due to the volatility of sterling against the Hong Kong dollar, the currency in which most of its purchases are made.
Despite issuing a trading statement less than a month ago, Hornby today said the year to March 31 had finished "even more strongly than we expected".
It now expects profits in excess of market predictions and said it intended to recommend a resumption of dividend payments.
The company added: "For the new financial year there remains some uncertainty in respect of consumer confidence but order intake has continued strongly across all our brands."
