(Reuters) - Textron Inc , the world's largest maker of corporate jets, blew past Wall Street forecasts with a near-doubling of its quarterly profit, helped by strong demand for its Bell helicopters and a pickup in sales at its Cessna jet unit.
The U.S. manufacturer, which also makes EZ-Go golf carts and industrial components, said on Thursday that its second-quarter profit came to $172 million, or 58 cents per share, compared with $90 million, or 29 cents per share, a year earlier.
Revenue rose 10.7 percent to $3.02 billion from $2.73 billion a year earlier.
Analysts on average looked for profit of 44 cents per share on $2.99 billion in revenue, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The Providence, Rhode Island-based company has been riding a wage of strong demand for helicopters and has seen sales of its Cessna corporate aircraft start to pick up after a long torpor.
(Reporting by Scott Malone in Boston; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
