The diversified health-care company said it earned $3.3 billion, or $1.17 per share, compared with $3.08 billion, or $1.05 per share, in the year-earlier period.

Excluding special items, the company earned $1.18 per share. Analysts, polled by Reuters Estimates, on average had expected $1.12 per share.

(Reporting by Ransdell Pierson, editing by Maureen Bavdek)