COPENHAGEN, Aug 12 — Pandora A/S will add Mickey Mouse to its vast array of gold and silver charms later this year after the Danish jeweller signed an alliance with Walt Disney Co.

A collection featuring many of Disney’s best-known characters will go on sale in Pandora stores starting in November, the jeweller said today as it reported quarterly profit that beat estimates and raised its full-year sales forecast.

The collaboration with Disney — which will also give Pandora a presence at Disney’s main theme parks in Florida and California — forms the latest part of the jeweler’s strategy to introduce new products more frequently. Items put on sale within the last 12 months, such as Major League Baseball charms priced at US$65 (RM209), made up about 50 per cent of sales during the latest quarter, the Glostrup, Denmark-based company said today.

Pandora shares rose as much as 9.4 per cent to 417.30 kroner in Copenhagen, the steepest intraday gain since May 2013. They traded 8.5 per cent higher at 9.09am local time, extending this year’s advance to 41 per cent.

Pandora said it now expects revenue in 2014 to exceed 11 billion kroner (RM6.32 billion), compared with a previous forecast of more than 10.5 billion kroner. Quarterly net income increased 54 per cent to 662 million kroner, more than the 575 million-kroner average of nine estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

“The growth was primarily driven by our new markets in Europe and Asia as well as by the UK,” Chief Executive Officer Allan Leighton said in the statement.

Disney collection

Pandora said the new Disney collection will feature sterling silver and 14K gold charms inspired by characters such as Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

“Our consumers and retail partners have been requesting Disney-themed products for years,” Scott Burger, head of Pandora Americas, said in a separate statement.

Quarterly revenue rose 32 per cent to 2.54 billion kroner, compared with the 2.31 billion kroner that analysts anticipated. All product categories showed “good growth,” with revenue from rings tripling to 273 million kroner.

Pandora anticipates adding more than 275 so-called concept stores this year, compared with the 225 it previously expected. The retailer announced today that it has acquired 27 outlets in the northeastern US from its biggest franchisee in the region in a move to refresh its store network there. The purchase from US jeweler Hannoush is valued at US$29 million, it said.

Pandora reiterated its previous forecast that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation will widen to 35 per cent of sales for the year.

The company also announced today that Peter Vekslund, who is currently its head of finance, will succeed Henrik Holmark as its chief financial officer next year. — Bloomberg