HP profit rises on strength in servers and PCs

A logo of HP is seen outside Hewlett-Packard Belgian headquarters in Diegem, near Brussels, January 12, 2010.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co's profit rose 6 percent, helped by server and personal computer sales, in its first quarterly report since the surprise ouster of Chief Executive Mark Hurd.

HP, which first reported the results on August 6 when it announced Hurd's exit, on Thursday posted net income of $1.77 billion, or 75 cents a share, for the third quarter ended July 31, up from $1.67 billion, or 69 cents a share, a year ago.

Excluding items, HP earned $1.08 a share.

Revenue rose 11 percent to $30.7 billion.

HP, the world's largest technology company by revenue, forced Hurd out on August 6 for expense account irregularities related to a female contractor. Hurd, CEO since 2005, has been credited with reviving the company's fortunes.

HP shares have fallen about 12 percent since Hurd left.

For fiscal 2010, HP repeated its forecast from two weeks ago, predicting non-GAAP earnings of $4.49 to $4.51 a share on revenue of $125.3 billion to $125.5 billion.

Shares of Palo Alto, California-based HP closed at $40.76 on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Gabriel Madway. Editing by Robert MacMillan)