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Empresas y finanzas

Procter & Gamble profit tops its view


    CHICAGO (Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co posted a higher profit than it anticipated, helped by growth in developing markets and its biggest volume gain in 4-1/2 years, and it raised the low end of its fiscal-year earnings outlook.

    The world's largest household products company said profit fell to $2.59 billion, or 83 cents per share, in the third quarter that ended on March 31 from $2.61 billion, or 84 cents per share, a year earlier.

    Core earnings per share, which exclude certain tax, legal and restructuring charges, rose 10 percent to 89 cents. On that basis, the Cincinnati-based maker of Tide detergent and Gillette razors had forecast 77 cents to 82 cents.

    Sales rose 7.4 percent to $19.18 billion. Organic sales, which strip out currency fluctuations, acquisitions and divestitures, rose 4 percent, meeting the low end of the company's 4 percent to 6 percent forecast.

    The volume of goods sold rose 7 percent.

    For fiscal 2010, P&G now expects to earn $4.06 to $4.12 per share instead of $4.02 to $4.12 per share.

    It expects net sales to rise 3 percent to 5 percent this year and 6 percent to 7 percent in the current fourth quarter.

    (Reporting by Jessica Wohl; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)