NEW YORK (Bloomberg) — Tyco Electronics, the world's biggest maker of electrical relays and connectors, climbed the most since it was spun off after fourth-quarter profit topped analysts' estimates.

The company's shares rose $1.80, or 5.4 percent, to $34.90 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading late last week. Earlier, they climbed to $35.86, the biggest gain since shares began trading June 15. The stock had previously fallen 15 percent.

Profit excluding breakup and restructuring costs and discontinued operations was 59 cents a share, above the average of 54 cents projected by 13 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Net income fell 31 percent to $256 million, or 51 cents, on sales of $3.62 billion, the Bermuda-based company said in a statement.

"The fourth-quarter upside was nearly entirely from better sales and operating income with gross margins that were in line with our expectations," Steven Fox, an analyst with Merrill Lynch in New York, wrote in a note to investors. He has a "buy" rating on the stock.

The company, which was spun off from Tyco International June 29, forecast fiscal 2008 profit from continuing operations excluding some items of $2.40 to $2.50 a share, more than the $2.36 projected by analysts. Sales from businesses owned more than a year should climb six percent to eight percent, the company said.