Trading profit edges up at Smith and Nephew

published 2 February 2012

Fourth quarter sales at medical devices maker Smith and Nephew came in a touch shy of market expectations, but showed a modest improvement on the previous year's fourth quarter figure.

Revenue rose to $1,106m in the final three months of 2011 from $1,067m the year before; the market had been expecting $1,115m.

Trading profit edged up to $279m from $278m a year earlier, while the trading profit margin at 25.2% was ahead of the company's expectations of a figure of 24%.