March 4 (Reuters) - Best Buy ( BBY ) posted a surprise

rise in quarterly comparable sales on Tuesday, as customers took

advantage of holiday promotions to snap up high-end appliances

and gaming consoles.

The top U.S. electronics retailer's fourth-quarter

comparable sales rose 0.5%, snapping 12 straight quarters of

declines. Analysts on average had expected a 1.33% drop,

according to data compiled by LSEG.

(Reporting by Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj

Kalluvila)