Millipore, a maker of purification systems used in drug manufacture, posted a better-than-expected
quarterly profit, helped by higher revenue from its bioprocess division.
Net income for the fourth quarter was about $44 million, or 78 cents a share, compared with $31.1 million, or 56 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter. Excluding items, the company posted earnings of $1 per share,
Millipore said in a statement. Revenue for the quarter rose 7% to $426 million.
Analysts on average expected the company to earn 94 cents a share, excluding items, on revenue of $421.5 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Bioprocess division sales rose 9%, helped by strong
demand from the company's biotechnology customers and higher levels of vaccine production, Chief Executive Martin Madaus said.