Warner Music profit beats Wall Street view

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Warner Music Group Corp (WMG.N) posted fiscal-fourth quarter earnings that beat Wall Street estimates even as its revenue fell slightly from a year ago.

But it said that because of the global economic situation and its own music release schedule its fiscal 2009 results may look worse earlier in the year than later on.

"The volatile global economy and timing of our release schedule may result in back-end weighted fiscal 2009 results," Steve Macri, its chief financial officer.

The world's third-largest music company reported a net profit of $6 million, or 4 cents per share for the quarter ended September 30, compared with a profit of $5 million, or 3 cents a share in the same quarter a year ago.

In comparison analysts on average were expecting a loss of 2 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Revenue fell 1 percent to $854 million from $867 million. On a constant currency basis, revenue fell 5 percent.

Digital revenue was $167 million or about 20 percent of the total.

Warner Music shares had closed at $2.80 on New York Stock Exchange on Monday.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Derek Caney)