Winnebago posts higher-than-expected Q4 sales, profit

Winnebago Industries Inc , the No. 1 U.S. motor-home manufacturer, reported a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday.

Winnebago reported a fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $10.6 million, or 38 cents a share, compared with $40.9 million, or $1.41 a share last year.

Sales rose 32 percent to $214.2 million.

Analysts, on average, expected the Forest City, Iowa-based Winnebago to report a profit of 28 cents a share on sales of $208 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The year-ago results reflected a one-time, non-cash tax item. Stripping out the effect of the item, Winnebago's EPS more than doubled this year to 38 cents a share from an adjusted 14 cents a share last year.

(Reporting by James B. Kelleher; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)