Adobe Profit Rises 17% as Sales Improve

Adobe Systems Inc. said fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 17%, bolstered by strong sales of its publishing and design software. The Mountain View-based company said profit from operations rose to $35.9 million, or 49 cents a share, in the quarter ended Nov. 29, from $30.6 million, or 40 cents, a year earlier. Per-share earnings matched the average estimate of analysts. Adobe introduced several software products during the quarter, including version 4.0 of Photoshop, a software program used by graphic designers that retails for $895 and accounts for about 22% of the company’s revenue. Shares rose $1.625 to close at $42.125 on Nasdaq.