By Armando Duke

(AXcess News) Houston - Toymaker Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) reported a 77% gain in fourth quarter profit Monday, buoyed by an increase in boys toys.  Hasbro earned $1.09 per share, beating the street's estimate by more than a Transformer could toss a Tonka truck.

Hasbro earned $165.6 million in the fourth quarter on sales of $1.38 billion.

Wall Street estimates of 81 cents per share in profit and $1.34 billion in sales where overcome by consumer interest in Hasbro's line of toys for boys, such as Transformers, Tonka and Playskool brands.

For the full-year, Hasbro's profit reached $2.48 per share for a gain of 22%.

The Pawtucket, RI-based toymaker expects 2010 to be even better through the television and theater promotions of GI Joe, Iron Man 2 and Toy Story 3.

Friday, Hasbro (HAS) shares closed down 46 cents, or 1.47%, at $30.80.  Today, following the release of its fourth quarter profit, HAS is likely to get back the prior session's closing loss and perhaps then some.