Holiday demand lifts THQ’s profit, revenue

THQ Inc.’s fiscal third-quarter profit and revenue beat its forecasts on sales of “Cars” and “Smackdown” video games, prompting the company to raise full-year predictions.

The company earned about 97 cents a share, excluding some costs, on better-than-expected holiday sales of about $475 million. That beat its forecast for profit of as much as 74 cents a share on sales of as much as $425 million, Agoura Hills-based THQ said.

THQ raised its full-year profit forecast, excluding stock-based compensation costs, to about $1.20 a share on sales of about $1 billion for the period ending March 31. THQ had previously predicted profit of as much as $1.05 a share on sales of as much as $975 million.