Whirlpool quarterly profit tops estimates; sales miss
Jan 31 (Reuters) - Whirlpool Corp reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as price increases and cost cuts helped the world's largest appliance maker counter lackluster demand in Europe and North America.
The maker of Maytag and KitchenAid appliances said on Thursday that fourth-quarter net earnings had fallen to $122 million, or $1.52 a share, from $205 million, or $2.62 a share, a year earlier.
Excluding special items, Whirlpool earned $2.29 a share. Analysts on average were looking for $2.23, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Sales fell 2.4 percent to $4.79 billion, while analysts expected $4.88 billion.
Jan 31- Whirlpool Corp reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as price increases and cost cuts helped the world's largest appliance maker counter lackluster demand in Europe and North America.