Alcatel-Lucent posts 20 pct drop in Q4 op profit

PARIS Feb 10 (Reuters) - Telecom gear maker Alcatel-Lucent was hit by slower spending by U.S. operators in the fourth quarter, causing its revenue and margins to slip and delaying a long-awaited turnaround.

The Franco-American group, which competes with Sweden's Ericsson and China's Huawei, posted fourth-quarter revenue of 4.15 billion euros and full-year revenue of 15.33 billion on Friday.

Its adjusted operating profit fell 20 percent to 316 million euros with a margin of 7.4 percent. (Reporting by Leila Abboud; Editing by James Regan)