Feb 4 (Reuters) - Gartner ( IT ) on Tuesday beat

estimates for fourth-quarter profit and reported revenue in line

with expectations, as the research and advisory firm benefited

from an increase in contract values.

While Gartner ( IT ) issued a weaker forecast for 2025, analysts

noted investors were pinning their hopes on the acceleration in

contract value.

"Investors are encouraged by the acceleration in CV

(contract value) growth which could support recurring revenue

growth in the quarters ahead ... Gartner ( IT ) typically guides each

year conservatively and this is incorporated into investor

expectations," said UBS analyst Joshua Chan.

Shares of the company climbed as much as 5% in early

trading. They were last up about 1% in mid-day trading.

Gartner ( IT ) is benefiting as more clients sign up for its

services, mainly in finance, sales and legal sectors. The

revenue also saw a rising contribution from its conferences

segment, as it held 13 destination conferences in the quarter.

The company said global contract value grew about 8% to $5.3

billion in the quarter, accelerating from a 7.3% increase in the

prior three-month period.

It reported an adjusted profit of $5.45 per share, handily

beating analysts' estimates of $3.25 per share, according to

LSEG data.

The company projected full-year 2025 revenue of $6.56

billion, below analysts' estimates of $6.70 billion, per data

compiled by LSEG.

"The biggest driver of forward year subscription revenue

growth is going to be the end of year -- prior

year CV growth," said CFO Craig Safian.

Gartner ( IT ) said it expects an annual adjusted profit per share

of $11.45, compared with estimates of $13.10 per share.

Gartner ( IT ) is a research and advisory firm that provides

business data and analytics services to its customers. It has

more than 15,000 enterprise clients and operates in three

segments - research, consulting and conferences.