US conglomerate General Electric Co reported a 7- per-cent rise in third quarter profits Friday, but shares dropped as gains from its infrastructure unit were smaller than predicted, according to DPA. Net income from continuing operations rose to 5.1 billion dollars, up from 4.7 billion dollars in the third quarter of 2006. Revenue climbed 12 per cent to 42.5 billion dollars, the Fairfield, Connecticut-based company said in a statement. Shares of GE were down more than 2 per cent in afternoon trading on Wall Street due to a less-than-forecast profit rise of 12 per cent at the conglomerate's infrastructure unit, which includes locomotives and power-plant turbines. GE had forecast a 15-per-cent climb in July.
