Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co. said fourth-quarter...

Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co. said fourth-quarter profit from continuing operations rose 8.2%, as expected, on weak December sales.

The St. Paul, Minn.-based maker of Post-It notes, Scotch adhesive tapes, sandpaper and other products, said it earned $318 million, or 75 cents a share, from continuing operations, before a $79-million pretax restructuring charge. A year earlier, the company earned $294 million, or 70 cents, from continuing operations.

Its discontinued operations broke even in the quarter, down from 9 cents a share, before a pretax restructuring charge of $574 million.

Including charges, continuing operations earned $266 million, or 63 cents a share, down from $294 million, or 70 cents a year earlier. Discontinued operations lost $363 million, or 87 cents a share, contrasted with year-earlier income of $38 million, or 9 cents.

As a whole, the company lost $97 million, or 24 cents a share, contrasted with year-earlier income of $332 million, or 79 cents a share.