UPDATE 3-Telecom Argentina Q4 profits triple, shares halted

* Fourth quarter earnings beat expectations

* Shares suspended after court injunction (Updates with details on possible sale of Telecom Italia stake)

BUENOS AIRES, March 10 (Reuters) - Telecom Argentina reported that fourth-quarter profit more than tripled from a year ago on Wednesday and its shares were halted on the Buenos Aires stock exchange because of a court dispute between shareholders.

Telecom Argentina (TEC2.BA) (TEO.N), controlled by Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) and Argentina's Werthein family, made a profit of 399 million pesos ($103.4 million) in the last quarter of 2009, compared with 129 million pesos a year earlier, as income from data and voice services rose.

The result was higher than market expectations. A Reuters poll of six analysts forecast net profit at a median of 377.2 million pesos, with estimates ranging from 197 million to 426 million pesos.

For all of 2009, the company posted a net profit of 1.4 billion pesos -- 46 percent more than in 2008.

"The increase in revenues is real. It's not due to inflation," Chief Executive Franco Bertone told reporters.

He added that the company plans to invest this year a little more than the 2 billion pesos it did in 2009 to improve its third-generation (3G) network.

SHARES HALTED

In a separate development, the Buenos Aires stock exchange suspended Telecom Argentina's shares, citing a court injunction related to an ongoing power struggle among shareholders of the leading telephone company.

Telecom Argentina declined to comment on the March 8 court decision.

Telecom Italia has been at odds with the Argentine government since the country's antitrust commission ordered the Italians to sell their holdings in the Argentine company to avoid monopoly in the local communications market.

An Argentine court in February halted the order, and Telecom Italia has said several companies have expressed interest in acquiring its stake in Telecom Argentina.

Telecom Italia has delayed any possible sale, prompting the Argentine government to threaten to nationalize Telecom Argentina.

Telecom Italia and Grupo Werthein each own 50 percent of Telecom Argentina's parent, Sofora, and the Argentine group, which has a good relationship with the government, has previously expressed interest in buying out the Italian firm. (Reporting by Jorge Otaola; Writing by Walter Brandimarte; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)