Dell Earnings

Dell Computer Corp. said its fiscal fourth-quarter profit barely grew to $436 million, or 16 cents a share, in line with previously lowered expectations. Revenue rose 31% to $6.8 billion, but the growth rate was the slowest in five years. The company had warned Jan. 26 that earnings would fall well below analysts’ forecasts because of a shortage of chips from Intel Corp. and a sales slowdown tied to year 2000 fears. After that warning, analysts lowered their expectations from a consensus of 21 cents to 15 cents, according to First Call/Thomson Financial. Shares of Round Rock, Texas-based Dell rose $3.23 to close at $38.80 on Nasdaq before earnings were released.