February 16, 2006 8:30 AM, EST

Goodyear Takes 4Q Loss on Unit Sale; Sales Reach Record

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oodyear Tire & Rubber Co. reported a fourth-quarter loss because of the sale of a business unit and rising rubber prices, though its sales set records for the quarter and full year.

img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/goodyearlogo.gif" width=140 align=right>Goodyear took a $51 million loss, or 29 cents a share, compared with earning $125 million or 62 cents a year earlier, the company said in a statement.

The tire maker sold its farm-tire unit in the quarter as it tried to trim expenses. That sale contributed a loss of $78 million or 44 cents a share, it said in a statement.

Excluding those charges, the company said it earned 15 cents a share.

Goodyear’s fourth-quarter sales reached a record $4.9 billion, from $4.8 billion a year earlier.

For 2005, sales rose to $19.7 billion, also a record, from $18.4 billion the previous year.

North American tire sales reached a fourth-quarter record, and were up 4% compared to the 2004 period.