Comcast Corp reported stronger quarterly earnings as it benefited from surging ad sales and signed up customers to higher-priced packages of cable, voice and broadband service.

The largest U.S. cable company, which also increased its dividend by 19 percent, said net income rose to $1.02 billion, or 36 cents a share, from $955 million, or 33 cents a share, in the period a year ago.

Comcast's fourth quarter revenue rose 7 percent to $9.7 billion, it said on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Paul Thomasch)

Comcast