IBM Posts 6% Profit Rise in Q4, Beats on Guidance

Reporting its Q4 and 2012 results today,IBM(NYSE: IBM) posted net income of $5.8 billion, or $5.13 per share, on a diluted basis. That was a 6% improvement over the same period the previous year. If special items weren't included in the latter figure, it would have come in at $5.39, trumping analyst expectations of $5.25. Revenue was slightly lower, at $29 billion, when compared with Q4 2011. That broadly met the market's expectations.

For the full year, net income came in at $16.6 billion ($14.37 diluted EPS) on revenue of $105 billion. Those figures were 5% higher and 2% lower, respectively, on a year-over-year basis.

IBM also posted guidance that exceeded what the market anticipated. For full-year 2013, the company believes it will take in $16.70 per share in adjusted earnings, slightly above the average analyst estimate of $16.65. Looking further down the road, IBM hopes to post a minimum of $20 per share in 2015.

The article IBM Posts 6% Profit Rise in Q4, Beats on Guidance originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Eric Volkman has no position in IBM. The Motley Fool owns shares of IBM. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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