Burger King, the second-largest US hamburger chain, reported thirdquarter profit that exceeded analysts estimates on $1 breakfast items and Angus Cheesy Bacon hamburgers.

Net income of $34 million ( 24.9m), or 25 cents a share, compared with a loss of $12m, or 11 cents, a year earlier, Miami- based Burger King said in a statement. Revenue rose 8.9% to $539m.

Burger King introduced the fastfood industry's first discount breakfast menu in February with cheesy tots and French-toast sticks among other items. It boosted US lunch and dinner sales with the threepound Angus, the Texas Double Whopper and other oversized sandwiches aimed at men in their 20s and 30s.

"Young guys eat big, '" said Malcolm Knapp, a New York-based restaurant consultant. Burger King joined the "land rush" for breakfast sales, he said, along with McDonald's, which added stronger coffee, and Starbucks with new sandwiches.

The shares rose $1.17, or 5.2%, to $23.89 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They sold for $17 at their initial public offering in May.

Sales at US and Canadian stores open at least 13 months rose 2.6%.

Worldwide same-store sales climbed 3.2%, the 13th consecutive quarterly gain.

Burger King operated 92 more restaurants than it did a year earlier.

The chain added 17 new outlets in the third quarter. Comparable sales in the region encompassing Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific increased 5.3 % on the UK introduction of the Aberdeen Angus burger. Analysts had estimated the company would earn 22 cents a share in the three months through 31 March, the average of seven projections compiled by Bloomberg.

Sales were estimated at $536.1m.

Burger King gets about 13%-15% of its sales from breakfast, compared with 25% for McDonald's, according to Steve West at AG Edwards in St Louis.

The restaurant company raised $425m in its IPO, when it become a standalone public company for the first time in its history. The chain was purchased by Texas Pacific, Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs in December 2002 from Diageo for $1.5bn.

Chief Executive Officer John Chidsey took over in April 2006 from Greg Brenneman, who became the second CEO in four years to leave.

The company ranks ahead of Wendy's in sales and locations, and trails McDonald's in both categories. At McDonald's, fourth-quarter worldwide same-store sales gained 6.3%, with US sales climbing 4.4%.

Burger King has said it plans to add a net 250 restaurants in the 12 months through June. That includes 450 new sites, with 250 in Europe, Middle East and Asia, 80 in Latin America and 100 in the U.S. and Canada. The chain will close 200 restaurants.