Atlas Copco profit misses forecast, shares fall

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish industrials group Atlas Copco reported on Thursday softer-than-expected fourth-quarter profits and said demand was expected to remain at around the current level, sending its share price down 4%.

Adjusted operating profit for Sweden's most valuable listed company rose to 8.03 billion Swedish crowns ($784.49 million)from 6.46 billion a year earlier, while analysts polled by Refinitiv on average had expected earnings of 8.56 billion.

Atlas plans to pay an ordinary dividend of 2.30 crowns per share, sharply down from 7.60 crowns paid last year, but roughly matching analysts' average expectation for 2.28 crowns.

($1 = 10.2359 Swedish crowns)

(Reporting by Marie Mannes, editing by Terje Solsvik)