BJ's Wholesale Club Inc posted a higher quarterly profit, helped by a jump in sales at stores open at least a year.

The warehouse club operator also raised its full-year earnings forecast to a range of $2.58 to $2.68 a share. It previously had expected $2.54 to $2.64.

The company said profit rose to $26.1 million, or 49 cents a share, in the first quarter ended May 1 from $24.3 million, or 45 cents a share, a year earlier.

Analysts on average forecast 43 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Earlier this month, BJ's said sales rose 12.9 percent to $2.55 billion, helped by a 7.8 percent increase in sales at stores open at least a year.

(Reporting by Brad Dorfman; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)