Boston Scientific posts weaker quarterly results

Jan 29 (Reuters) - Boston Scientific Corp on Tuesday posted weaker quarterly earnings as sales slipped and expenses rose.

Fourth-quarter net earnings were $60 million, or 4 cents per share, down from $107 million, or 7 cents per share, in the year-earlier period.

Excluding items, earnings were 11 cents per share, matching the average estimate on Wall Street, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. There were fewer outstanding shares used to compute per share earnings in the latest period.

Quarterly sales dipped to $1.82 billion from $1.85 billion a year earlier on weakness in its key markets from implantable heart devices.