In this July 16, 2013, file photo, an IBM logo is displayed in Berlin, Vt. International Business Machines Corporation reports financial results Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File) International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) on Thursday reported fourth-quarter profit of $4.5 billion.
The Armonk, New York-based company said it had net income of $4.72 per share. Earnings, adjusted for costs related to mergers and acquisitions and non-recurring costs, came to $5.01 per share.
The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $4.89 per share.
The technology and consulting company posted revenue of $21.77 billion in the period, also surpassing Street forecasts. Six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $21.62 billion.
IBM shares have risen slightly since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has risen 1 percent. In the final minutes of trading on Thursday, shares hit $166.81, an increase of 30 percent in the last 12 months.
Explore further: Netflix beats Street 3Q forecasts