Oracle 3Q Profit Up 35 Percent on Growth

SAN FRANCISCO - Oracle Corp.'s fiscal third-quarter profit climbed 35 percent amid surprisingly strong sales growth that provided the business software maker with an additional boost as it heads into its busiest time of the year.

The Redwood Shores-based company said Tuesday that it earned $1.03 billion, or 20 cents per share, for the three months ended in February. That compared with net income of $765 million, or 14 cents per share, at the same time last year.

If not for certain expenses unrelated to its ongoing operations, Oracle said it would have earned 25 cents per share. That was 2 cents above the average estimate among analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.

…