Fast-food operator and franchiser CKE Restaurants ( CKR ) said Monday that it swung to a fourth-quarter profit and announced a dividend payment to shareholders. The company, which runs burger chains such as Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, said it earned $7.1 million, or 12 cents a share, for the quarter. That marks a reversal from last year's loss in the same quarter, totaling $51.7 million, and it exceeded Wall Street 's expectations. Analysts were expecting a gain of 11 cents a share, according to consensus estimates reported by Thomson First Call. The news sent the company's shares up 46 cents, or 3%, to $15.52 in after-hours trading Monday. Its bottom-line results included a $4.6 million charge related to asset impairments, partially offset by a $2.5 million tax refund. Also encouraging investors, CKE announced a quarterly dividend of 4 cents a share to be paid on June 13, 2005, to its stockholders of record at the close of business on May 23, 2005.