http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...=MIDTN&SECTION=DJSP_COMPLETE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT THE LATEST NEWS LG Electronics profit plunges 85 percent SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Fourth quarter profit at LG Electronics Co., South Korea's largest consumer appliance maker, plunged 85 percent amid falling sales and price declines for flat-screen televisions, the company said Tuesday. The Seoul, South Korea-based company said it earned 48.2 billion won ($51.2 million) in the three months ended Dec. 31, the company said in a statement, down sharply from the same quarter a year ago. Still, the result was better than expected. Analysts had expected the company to post a net loss of 7.6 billion won ($8.1 million) in the quarter, according to a Dow Jones Newswires survey. Sales fell 11 percent to 5.52 trillion won ($5.87 billion). Shares in LG Electronics, which released earnings results about 50 minutes before the stock market closed, fell 1.5 percent to 52,700 won ($56) in late session trading.