General Electric Co said profit rose 51 percent, topping Wall Street's expectations, helped by lower loss rates at its finance arm and an unexpected 1 percent rise in revenue.

The largest U.S. conglomerate said on Friday fourth-quarter net income came to $4.5 billion, or 42 cents per share, up from $3 billion, or 28 cents per share, a year earlier.

Profit from continuing operations came to 36 cents per share, above the 32 cents analysts had expected, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

New york city