Albany International Profit Rises

For the quarter ended Dec. 31, net income rose to $7.9 million, or 27 cents per share, from $6.2 million, or 21 cents per share in the prior year quarter.

Excluding restructuring and performance-improvement costs, the company said it earned 49 cents per share.

Revenue rose 14 percent to $291.7 million from $255.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Sales in the paper machine clothing division the company's biggest grew 10 percent, and growing Asia and South America markets helped fuel the growth.

For the year, profit dropped 69 percent to $17.8 million, or 60 cents per share, from $58 million, or $1.92 per share in the prior year. Revenue climbed 8 percent to $1.09 billion from $1.01 billion in 2006.

Shares rose 5 cents to $35.79 in electronic after-hours trading. During regular trading, shares rose 39 cents to close at $35.74.