Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. reported a fourth-quarter profit on Thursday that surpassed Wall Street forecasts, backed by better-than-expected results at its key North American unit and shares rose 2.5 percent.

The Akron, Ohio, based tire company posted an 8 percent increase in volume as global demand remained on a high.

It registered its earnings to be $107 million, or 44 cents per share, on sales of $4.4 billion in the three-month period that ended Dec. 31. Goodyear lost $330 million, or $1.37 per share, on fourth-quarter 2008 sales of $4.1 billion.

In Asia, Goodyear revealed the volume of new equipment to jump by 36 percent, while North America recorded a decline of 7 percent.

Moreover, the company witnessed its sales to boost by 7 percent over the fourth quarter of 2008 and the number of tires sold increased 8 percent.

The key North American market improved with losses of $27 million, contrasted with a fourth-quarter 2008 loss of $193 million. North American sales fell from $1.9 billion to $1.8 billion but the number of tires sold was unchanged.