Cooper Tire reports sales records

2/28/2013

FINDLAY — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. said today it set fourth-quarter and full-year sales records in 2012, on its way to a full-year profit of $220 million, or $3.49 a share. In 2011, the company earned $254 million, or $4.02 a share.

The Findlay-based tire maker said fourth-quarter sales reached $1.1 billion, up 2 percent from 2011. For the year, sales topped $4.2 billion, up 7 percent from 2011. 

Cooper said it earned $73 million, or $1.15 per share, in the fourth quarter. That's much lower than the company's 2011 fourth-quarter earnings, though 2011's earnings were pumped up by a one-time tax benefit of $177 million. 

Shares of Cooper Tire were up more than 5.5 percent in early trading today to $26.82.