airboss of america corps shares jumped thursday after the maker of protective gear for the defense healthcare and medical industries posted strongerthanexpected financial results for the final quarter of last year in early trading the shares were 12 higher at 9 canadian dollars us652 widening the yeartodate advance to 21 airboss reported a fourthquarter profit of us12 million or 43 us cents a share down from us152 million or 53 us cents a share a year earlier as growth in its rubbersolutions and engineeredproducts divisions was offset by weaker earnings in a defense segment that was last year boosted by a nitrile patientexamination gloves contract as part of the us governments response to the covid19 pandemic on an adjusted basis pershare earnings fell to 45 us cents bettering the loss of 4 us cents expected by factsetpolled analysts sales for the quarter fell by slightly more than half to us1175 million from us2491 million beating the mean forecast of analysts for us1111 million