"Performance" Delta Air Lines' fourth-quarter profit rose 45% year-on-year, slightly exceeding expectations

Delta Air Lines (DAL.US) announced that its profit for the fourth quarter of last year increased by 45% year-on-year to $1.22 billion, with adjusted earnings per share of $1.55, slightly above the market expectation of $1.53; adjusted revenue was $14.61 billion, which was slightly below expectations.

The company indicated that due to strong travel demand, it expects revenue for the first quarter of this year to grow by 5% to 7% year-on-year. For the full year, it anticipates a profit increase of 20% year-on-year, with adjusted earnings per share expected to be between $6.50 and $7.50, compared to the market expectation of $7.25