Thermo Fisher profit tops Street view as Life awaits

By Bill Berkrot (Reuters) – Laboratory equipment maker Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, which this month agreed to acquire Life Technologies Inc for more than $13 billion, on Wednesday reported a higher-than-expected first-quarter profit, helped by a 10 percent rise in specialty diagnostics sales. Excluding one-time items, Thermo Fisher posted earnings of $1.37 per share, topping analysts average expectations by 8 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Thermo Fisher shares were up 1 percent. …