By Matt Grossman

Eaton Corp. PLC on Tuesday logged posted a stronger first-quarter profit, despite a decline in revenue related to the divestiture of one of its business lines.

The Ireland-based power-components company logged first-quarter net income attributable to shareholders of $1.14 a share, up from $1.07 a share a year earlier. The company's total net income attributable to shareholders was $458 million, up from $438 million.

Accounting for one-time items, the company's adjusted earnings were $1.44 a share, it said. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast an adjusted profit of $1.24 a share.

Eaton said sales fell to $4.69 billion from $4.79 billion. Analysts had forecast $4.55 billion.

The company said the divestiture of Eaton's lighting business had caused a negative effect on the company's sales of 5.5%. On an organic basis, sales grew by half a percent.

Aerospace sales fell 24% year over year as the coronavirus pandemic continued to cause a downturn in commercial aviation, and the lighting divestiture caused a 9% decline in electrical sales in the Americas, the company said. Global electrical sales grew by 10% year over year, and hydraulics sales were up by 11%, it said.

Sales from Eaton's vehicle segment rose by 9%. Revenue from Eaton's eMobility division, which works on electric-vehicle technology, grew by 15%, the company said.

Segment margins were 17.7%, an improvement of 1.9 percentage points over the year-earlier level, Eaton said.

Write to Matt Grossman at matt.grossman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

05-04-21 0707ET