SAIC posts higher Q2 profit

ATLANTA (Reuters) - SAIC Inc (SAI.N), a provider of technical services to the U.S. Defense and Homeland Security departments, raised its full-year earnings growth forecast and reported a higher quarterly profit on Wednesday as revenue rose.

Earnings rose to $189 million, or 50 cents a share, for the fiscal second quarter ended July 31, compared with $123 million, or 31 cents a share, a year earlier.

Results included income of 8 cents tied to discontinued operations, and were aided by a lower share count. Excluding the contribution from discontinued operations, the company reported adjusted earnings of 42 cents compared with analysts' average forecast of 33 cents per share, as compiled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue rose 2 percent to $2.79 billion.

The company said it now expects full-year diluted per-share profit from continuing operations to rise 14 percent to 18 percent, up from a prior view of 8 percent to 14 percent growth.

SAIC shares rose 2.7 percent to $15.78 after hours after closing up 3.3 percent at $15.37 on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Karen Jacobs; Editing by Ilaina Jonas)