New York - Industrial concern United Technologies (UTC) reported Wednesday that it managed a 1.14 billion dollar profit in the fourth quarter of 2008, up from 1.06 billion dollars a year earlier, despite a slippage in sales.

The Hartford, Connecticut-based concern said sales came to 14.5 billion dollars in the quarter, compared with 14.7 billion dollars in the final 2007 period.

"UTC had a solid close to 2008 in spite of deteriorating end markets and currency headwinds," President and CEO Louis Chenevert commented in a company statement.

In reporting the figures, he reaffirmed the concern's earnings estimate for the current year of 4.65 to 5.15 dollars per share.

For the full year 2008, UTC achieved 4.69 billion dollars profit, up 11 per cent from the year before, or 4.9 dollars per share. The earnings came as revenues gained 7 per cent to almost 58.7 billion dollars. (dpa)