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Apple Computer said fourth-quarter profit more than doubled, beating analysts' estimates, as surging sales of iPod digital music players drove revenue to its highest for the period in nine years.

Net income rose to $106 million, or 26 cents a share, from $44 million, or 12 cents, a year earlier, Apple said. Sales rose 37 percent to $2.35 billion. IPod shipments increased fivefold to 2.02 million.

Apple said sales and profit this quarter will also beat analysts' expectations as consumers snap up iPods and iMac computers for the holiday season. Sales of the iPod music player, unveiled by CEO Steve Jobs in October 2001, helped Apple become the third-best performing stock in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index this year.

"The iPod is getting more and more people into their brands," said Louis Navellier of Navellier & Associates with $2.6 billion in assets, including 700,000 Apple shares. "It's broadening out into computer sales. It's just not digital music anymore."

The stock closed Wednesday at $39.75, up $1.46. Apple shares have gained 86 percent this year, and are trading near their highest levels since Sept. 28, 2000, when the shares closed at $53.50.

In other earnings news Wednesday:

Accenture, the world's largest management and technology consulting company, posted a 52 percent surge in profit for its latest quarter but said income in its current quarter could fall below estimates.

The company earned $183 million, or 30 cents a share, in the fiscal fourth quarter ended Aug. 31. In July, the company forecast fourth-quarter profit of 26 cents to 29 cents a share.

The latest results beat the average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call for earnings, excluding items, of 28 cents a share.

Revenue for the latest period rose 10 percent to $3.81 billion.

Harley-Davidson's third-quarter profit surged 20 percent, revved up by higher gross margin and brisk sales of its brand-name motorcycles and accessories.

The company also projected continued growth in demand for its motorcycles, resulting in a wholesale unit target of 339,000 motorcycles in 2005, a 7 percent increase over the 2004 target.

Harley posted earnings of $229 million, or 77 cents a share, for the third quarter ended Sept. 26, on a 15 percent gain in revenue to $1.3 billion. A Thomson First Call survey of Wall Street analysts projected, on average, third-quarter earnings of 75 cents a share on revenue of $1.33 billion.

Progressive, the third-largest U.S. auto insurer, said third- quarter profit rose 22 percent. Sales increased 9 percent, the slowest pace in three years.

Net income climbed to $388.9 million, or $1.77 a share, from $319.8 million, or $1.45, a year earlier, the company said. Profit excluding realized investment gains was $1.70 a share, a penny higher than the average estimate of 21 analysts polled by Thomson Financial.

AP, Bloomberg News