Feb 21 (Reuters) - Canadian fertilizer company Agrium Inc reported higher quarterly profit on Thursday after markets closed, handily beating expectations.

Net earnings for the fourth quarter jumped to $354 million, or $2.34 per share, from $193 million, or $1.20 per share a year ago.

Adjusted for one-time items, earnings per share were $326 million or $2.16 per share.

Sales for the Calgary, Alberta-based company rose 3 percent to $3.26 billion.

Analysts on average expected Agrium to earn $2.00 a share on sales of $3.2 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba) Keywords: AGRIUM RESULTS/

(rod.nickel@thomsonreuters.com)(1 204 947-3548)(Reuters Messaging: rod.nickel.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)

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