UPDATE 1-Stryker quarterly earnings top expectations
* Profit ex-items of $1.14/shr tops estimates by 2 cts
* Net earnings decrease 32.7 pct on charges for hip recall
* Continues to see 2013 earnings of $4.25 to $4.40 a share
Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. orthopedic implant maker Stryker Corp on Wednesday reported quarterly earnings excluding charges that exceeded analyst estimates as sales of its hip, knee and spine products improved.
Fourth-quarter earnings excluding charges rose 11.8 percent from a year ago to $436 million, or $1.14 a share.
Analysts had expected a profit of $1.12 a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Including costs for a previously disclosed recall of hip products, profit fell almost one-third to $270 million, or 71 cents a share, from $401 million, or $1.05 a share, the year before.
Net sales in the quarter rose 5.5 percent to $2.3 billion.
The Kalamazoo, Michigan-based company said it continues to expect full-year 2013 earnings of $4.25 to $4.40 per share.