Zoll Medical profit more than doubles

Zoll Medical Corp. said today that fourth-quarter profit more than doubled, and so the maker of heart resuscitation devices topped Wall Street estimates.

Net income grew to $5.4 million, or 56 cents per share, from $2.2 million, or 23 cents per share, a year ago. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected earnings per share of 37 cents

Revenue rose 27 percent to $72.3 million -- well above the analyst consensus of $64.8 million -- from $57.1 million last year.

North American sales increased 22 percent to $57.3 million, with hospital market sales falling 7 percent to $20.5 million and pre-hospital market sales rising 61 percent to $31.9 million.

For the full year, the company, which is based in Chelmsford, posted net income of $11.1 million, or $1.15 per share, up from $1.9 million, or 20 cents per share, last year. Revenue rose 18 percent to $248.8 million from $211.3 million last year.

Zoll's North American sales got a boost from Lifecor, a business which makes a wearable defibrillator for heart patients. Zoll acquired Lifecor in April. Sales of AutoPulse, a resuscitation system for victims of sudden cardiac arrest rose 33 percent for the year, to $10 million. (AP)