UPDATE 2-Guess raises full-year profit outlook; shares jump

(Recasts, adds analysts' comments, updates share movement)

BANGALORE, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Clothes and accessories retailer Guess Inc (GES.N) raised its full-year profit outlook, citing better-than-expected results at its retail, licensing and wholesale segments, lifting the shares as much as 13 percent.

Revenue for the second half of fiscal 2008 also exceeded the company's expectations, with third-quarter sales growing by well over 30 percent, Guess said in a statement.

Third-quarter same-store sales in Guess's North American Retail segment increased in double digits and accelerated in October, the last month of the quarter, the company said.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see the strength continuing during the holiday season," Needham & Co analyst Christine Chen said by phone.

Chen termed the company's outlook "still conservative."

The Los Angeles-based company forecast earnings of $1.85 to $1.90 a share, up from its prior outlook of $1.79 to $1.84 a share. Analysts were expecting earnings of $1.87 a share, before items, according to Reuters Estimates.

Lower discounting, large international presence and a well managed domestic business are favoring Guess more than most of its peers, analyst Eric Beder at Brean Murray Carret & Co said by phone.

International business accounts for more than half of Guess's total revenue.

Guess shares were trading up $5.28 at $46.71 in afternoon trade on the New York Stock Exchange. They have risen more than 30 percent so far this year before Tuesday's gains.

The stock trades at just over 22 times its estimated earnings, against the apparel retail sector average of over 18. (Reporting by Aditi Samajpati in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)