General Motors Co posted a weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter profit as disappointing performance overseas offset strong results in North America, sending its shares down 3.1 percent in premarket trading.

Net income attributable to common shareholders was $500 million, or 28 cents a share, compared with $500 million, or 31 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter.

Excluding one-time items, GM earned 39 cents a share, two cents below analysts' average forecast in a poll by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Shares of GM fell to $24.15 in premarket trading from Wednesday's closing price of $24.93 on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting By Ben Klayman and Deepa Seetharaman; editing by John Wallace)