Net earnings rose to $992 million, or $3.58 per share, in the quarter ended Dec. 31, from $952 million, or $3.39 per share, a year earlier.

Analysts on average had expected the company to post a profit of $3.54 per share, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)