Equinor Q4 profit beats forecast amid oilfield startup

Norway's Equinor reported a smaller-than-expected drop in fourth-quarter profits on Thursday as the startup of a major new oilfield partly mitigated the impact from weak European gas markets.

The Oslo-listed company's adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) fell to $3.55 billion in the fourth quarter from $4.39 billion in the same period of 2018. A poll of 25 analysts compiled by Equinor had forecast adjusted EBIT of $3.37 billion.