Research in Motion tops expectations

Research in Motion said Wednesday its fourth-quarter profitmore than doubled amid strong sales of itspopular BlackBerrysmart phones.

After markets closed,the Waterloo, Ont.-based companyreported net income of$413 million US (72 cents a share) and revenue of $1.88 billion US. RIM reports in U.S. dollars.

That topped analysts' expectations.The consensus, according to Thomson Financial, was for a profit of 70 cents a share on revenue of $1.86 billion.

The company said it added 2.18 million new subscriber accounts in the quarter, bringing its total subscriber base to more than 14 million.

It's forecasting the addition of another 2.2 million subscribers in the first quarter andis predicting net income of 82 to 86 cents a share. The consensus view ofanalysts was for a profit of 76 cents a share.

"We will continue to work closely with a thriving ecosystem of partners to build on our momentum during the year ahead," RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said in a statement.

In after-hours trading in the U.S., RIM shares climbed $4.93 to $120.72 US.