UPDATE 2-America Movil 4th-quarter net jumps 50 percent

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By Chris Aspin

MEXICO CITY, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Mexico's America Movil, the largest cell-phone operator in Latin America, posted a 50 percent jump in fourth-quarter net profit on Tuesday, beating expectations as it added 10 million clients in three months.

America Movil (AMX.N: Quote, Profile, Research)(AMXL.MX: Quote, Profile, Research), controlled by billionaire Carlos Slim, said its net profit soared to 15.9 billion pesos ($1.456 billion) from 10.6 billion pesos a year earlier.

Total subscribers rose to 157.3 million, which boosted revenue to 85.2 billion pesos in the quarter, up 25.8 percent from the fourth quarter of 2006. Total sales were also slightly better than expected.

A Reuters survey of analysts had estimated net profit of 14.507 billion pesos on revenue of 84.916 billion pesos.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, increased 28 percent to 32.846 billion pesos.

America Movil, which battles with Spain's Telefonica (TEF.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) for supremacy in Latin America, said its wireless subscribers hit 153.4 million at the end of December. It has 3.9 million fixed line clients in Central America and the Caribbean.

Client numbers in Mexico, its original market before the company went on an expansion spree across Latin America, topped the 50 million mark for the first time.