Feb 22 (Reuters) - Canadian retailer Loblaw Companies topped Wall Street expectations for fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, bolstered by consistent demand for essentials such as groceries as well as easing input costs.

Adjusted earnings per share came in at C$2.00 ($1.49) in the quarter, compared with analysts' average estimate of C$1.90, according to LSEG data. ($1 = 1.3456 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Annett Mary Manoj in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)