Baker Hughes Inc. gained even after reporting a larger-than-expected first-quarter loss as a financial crisis in the oil industry forces explorers to slash spending. The world’s third-biggest oil services provider reported a net loss that widened to $981 million, or $2.22 a share, from a loss of $589 million, or $1.35 a share, a year earlier, Baker Hughes said Wednesday in a statement. Excluding certain items, the loss of $1.58 a share was worse than the 33 cent average loss that 32 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had predicted ahead of the release. Investors shrugged off the loss, pushing shares up 2.3 percent to $46.86 at 2:33 p.m. in New York. Baker Hughes earlier rose to $47.67. Oil climbed above $45 a barrel for the first time since November. In North America, its largest region, Baker Hughes reported an operating profit margin of negative 21.2 percent, compared to negative 2.5 […]