GE beats view with op. earnings growth of 44c

MADRID (MarketWatch)
General Electric Co. announced Friday that it earned $4.01 billion in the fourth quarter, or 38 cents a share, compared to $3.73 billion, or 35 cents, in the year-ago quarter
Operating earnings in the quarter were 44 cents a share, a gain of 13%, beating a 43-cent forecast of analysts surveyed by FactSet Research
Revenue for GE was $39.33 billion in the quarter, compared to $37.97 billion in the year-ago quarter
Analysts were forecasting revenue of $38.86 billion
"The outlook for developed markets remains uncertain, but we are seeing growth in China and the resource rich countries
With our largest backlog in history and a substantial amount of cash generated by our businesses in the fourth quarter, we have great momentum going into 2013," said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt