Shares of the company, which also raised its dividend, rose 7.5 percent in early trading.

Earnings rose 10 percent to $688 million, or 88 cents per share, in the fourth quarter ended September 30, compared with $623 million, or 78 cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts on average expected earnings of 86 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Revenue rose 11 percent to $6.7 billion, matching expectations. U.S. and European sales were up by single digits, but grew by double digits in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.

The process management segment, Emerson's biggest, reported a 22 percent jump in quarterly profit. Sales and profits also grew in three other segments, but were lower in Emerson's appliance and tools division.

St. Louis-based Emerson, whose products range from wireless systems used in refineries to electrical motors and uninterruptible power supplies, said it was well-positioned for more challenging times ahead in 2009 and 2010.

"What is unique, in our opinion, is that the company is describing a difficult operating environment beyond next year," Merrill Lynch analyst John Inch said in a research note.

Emerson revalued its backlog to reflect a stronger U.S. dollar. Total company orders for the three months ended in September were flat to up 5 percent, down from their August pace, driven by the backlog revaluation, the company said.

The company will provide a fiscal 2009 forecast during its conference call later on Tuesday.

Separately, the company raised its quarterly dividend by 10 percent to 33 cents per share.

Its shares were up $2.44 at $35 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Euan Rocha and Nick Zieminski; Editing by Derek Caney, Dave Zimmerman)