Praxair Inc Q4 Profit Retreats 8%

(RTTNews) - Praxair Inc (PX) released earnings for fourth quarter that declined compared to the same period last year.

The company said its bottom line totaled $422 million, or $1.47 per share. This was lower than $460 million, or $1.57 per share, in last year's fourth quarter.

Analysts had expected the company to earn $1.47 per share, according figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

The company said revenue for the quarter fell 13.0% to $2.60 billion. This was down from $2.99 billion last year.

Praxair Inc earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q4): $422 Mln. vs. $460 Mln. last year. -Earnings Decline (Y-o-Y): -8.3% -EPS (Q4): $1.47 vs. $1.57 last year. -EPS Decline (Y-o-Y): -6.4% -Analysts Estimate: $1.47 -Revenue (Q4): $2.60 Bln vs. $2.99 Bln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): -13.0%

-Guidance: Next quarter EPS guidance: $1.20 - $1.28