* Q4 EPS $1.17 vs. est. $0.72
* Q4 rev down 12 pct * Sees Q1 sales to be down about 20 pct year-over-year
March 3 (Reuters) - Computer products distributor Tech Data Corp TECD.O reported a higher quarterly profit that beat estimates, helped in part by lower expenses, but a strong US dollar took a bite out of the company's sales.
The company also expects a 20 percent drop in first-quarter sales, considering the current macro-economic environment and the related decline in IT spending, combined with the strength of the dollar.
Tech Data reported fourth-quarter earnings of $58.6 million, or $1.17 a share, compared with $50.2 million, or 92 cents a share, in the year-ago period.
Revenue fell about 12 percent to $5.71 billion. Selling, general and administrative expenses fell about 10 percent.
Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 72 cents a share, before items, on revenue of $5.98 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.
Shares of the company closed at $16.26 Monday on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Bijoy Koyitty in Bangalore; Editing by Anil D’Silva )
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