GM Hughes Electronics Corp. said fourth-quarter earnings...

GM Hughes Electronics Corp. said fourth-quarter earnings fell 8.4% to $224.7 million, or 64 cents a share, from $245.3 million, or 69 cents a share a year earlier.

The results were reduced by the effect of a $30.9 million accounting adjustment for GM’s purchase of Hughes Aircraft Co.

Revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% at $3.62 billion from $3.7 billion a year earlier.

For the year, GM Hughes’ profit rose 16% to $925.4 million, or $2.62 a share, from $797.8 million, or $2.30 a share, in 1993. Revenue rose 4.3%, to a record $14.1 billion from $13.5 billion.

Earnings for the year also were offset by a first-quarter accounting change of $30.4 million, or 8 cents a share, related to post-employment benefits.

C. Michael Armstrong, chairman and chief executive, attributed the increased revenue largely to stronger sales in the automotive electronics and telecommunications and space divisions, as well as to cost-cutting efforts.