UPDATE 1-WD-40 quarterly profit tops Street, sees strong FY2010

* Q4 EPS 46 cents vs est 40 cents * Q4 sales $77.8 million beat estimates * Sees FY10 EPS $1.80-$1.95 vs est $1.74

* Shares up 6 pct after the bell

Oct 14 (Reuters) -WD-40 Co (WDFC.O) posted better-than-expected quarterly results, helped by improved gross margins, and forecast strong fiscal 2010 earnings, sending the household lubricants and cleaning products maker's shares up 6 percent in after-hours trade.

The San Diego-based company sees 2010 earnings of $1.80 a share to $1.95 a share, on revenue of $298 million to $318 million.

Analysts on average were looking for a profit of $1.74 a share, on revenue of $299.1 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

For the fourth quarter ended Aug. 31, net income rose 64 percent to $7.6 million, or 46 cents a share, from a year ago.

Wall Street was expecting earnings of 40 cents a share, before special items.

Sales for the company rose 1 percent to $77.8 million, topping analysts' view of $71.7 million.

Gross margin was 51.6 percent of sales compared to 44.8 percent in the same period last year.

"During the quarter, margin benefited from stabilization in the cost of petroleum-based products as well as positive impacts from investments related to our supply chain we made during the year," Chief Executive Garry Ridge said in a statement.

Shares of the company, whose brands include the Lava hand cleaner and Spot Shot carpet stain remover, were up 6 percent at $33.49 in after-market trade. They closed at $31.49 Wednesday on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Viraj Nair in Bangalore; Editing by Aradhana Aravindan)