© Reuters. THOMSON REUTERS PUBLISHES EARNINGS ABOVE EXPECTATIONS
(Reuters) – Thomson Reuters has released the fourth-quarter profit above expectations despite a revenue slightly less than expected.
The corporation of news and information, reported on Thursday a quarterly revenue increase of 3% to 2.94 billion ($2.40 billion euros).
Net income fell to $ 591 million, or 81 cents per share, compared to $ 2.24 billion ($3,03 $ /share) a year earlier.
Without exceptional items, the profit amounted to 60 cents per share.
Analysts were expecting on average a profit of 58 cents per share on revenue of 2.95 billion dollars, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Thomson Reuters announced last week that it would yield to the fund Blackstone a majority stake of 55% in its largest division, Financial & Risk, which provides information, data and analysis to companies in the financial sector. This operation in the amount of $ 20 billion is expected to be completed during the second half of 2018.
Thomson Reuters said last week that it would not provide profit forecast for 2018.
The net sales of the division’s Financial & Risk, Thomson Reuters will retain 45 per cent, were positive during the fourth quarter.
Its sales increased 1% to $ 1.55 billion excluding the impact of foreign exchange.
Thomson Reuters, parent of Reuters News, in competition with Bloomberg and Dow Jones group (News Corp) on the market of financial information.
(Jessica ToonkelBertrand Boucey for French service, edited by Véronique Tison)
