SAN FRANCISCO (Bloomberg) — Bermuda-based Marvell Technology Group Ltd., the maker of chips for Apple Inc.'s iPod media player, beat analysts' estimates with its fourth-quarter profit and sales.

Net income was $1.3 million, or break-even, compared with a loss of $140.6 million, or 24 cents, a year earlier, the company said yesterday in a statement. Sales for the period ended February 2 surged 36 percent to $844.7 million. Analysts in a Bloomberg survey had estimated revenue of $783.3 million.

Demand for Marvell's chips from makers of storage devices and networks was better than expected, the company said. Excluding stock-based compensation and other costs, profit was 20 cents a share, topping the 11-cent average estimate in the Bloomberg survey.

Marvell fell 23 cents to $11.52 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading on Friday. They have lost 18 percent this year.