Rockwell Profit at $147.2 Million in 3rd Quarter : Earnings: The Seal Beach-based company said the performance of its aerospace, electronics and automotive segments exceeded expectations.

Rockwell International Corp., the giant aerospace and electronics conglomerate, reported Monday that it earned $147.2 million for the latest quarter, a 20% increase from the same period last year.

The profit translated to 66 cents a share for the company’s third fiscal quarter, which ended June 30. That compares to earnings of 55 cents a share, or $122.6 million, a year earlier, the company said. Sales were $2.8 billion, up 4% from $2.7 billion.

The company, based in Seal Beach, reported that three of its four major business segments--aerospace, electronics and automotive--exceeded earnings expectations. The only one to fall short was the graphics division, which suffered from a continuing depressed market for newspaper printing presses.

“Aerospace and automotive each achieved earnings increases of 38%, while earnings of our largest business, electronics, increased 28%,” Chairman Donald R. Beall said. “We are realizing performance improvements from our long-term companywide initiatives in progressive management practices.”

Lior Bregman, an analyst for the brokerage Oppenheimer & Co. in New York, said he was pleased with Rockwell’s performance “given the weak economy in general.” Earnings will be even better, he said, when sales improve in the European and South American markets.

In Monday’s trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Rockwell’s stock closed at $32.25 a share, up $1.25.