BlackBerry second-quarter profit rises on back of software sales

TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd (BB.TO) posted a rise in second-quarter adjusted profit on lower revenue on Thursday as sales at its closely watched software business hit a record.

The Canadian company, which last year stopped manufacturing the iconic BlackBerry smartphone to focus on software, reported adjusted operating income of $29 million, or 5 cents a share, for the quarter ended Aug. 31, compared with $16 million, or break even, a year earlier.

Revenue fell to $249 million, down from $352 million a year ago and up slightly from $244 million in the prior quarter.