GE profit rises, helped by power, aviation units

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - JANUARY 23: The GE logo is displayed on a General Electric appliance at Fortney's Appliance store on January 23, 2009 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. General Electric Co. posted over a 40 percent drop in fourth-quarter earnings. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Photograph by Joe Raedle — Getty Images

General Electric Co (GE) posted a rise in quarterly profit on Friday, helped by its businesses selling power-generating turbines and jet engines, although sales in its oil and gas unit slumped.

The U.S. conglomerate said its fourth-quarter net earnings rose to $5.15 billion, or 51 cents per share, from $3.21 billion, or 32 cents per share, a year earlier.