After the market closed Thursday, leading natural gas company Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE:CHK) announced a 41% rise in its profit for the third quarter ended September 30, 2008. Net income for the quarter increased to $3.28 billion, or $5.61 per share, compared to $346 million, or 72 cents per share, in the same quarter last year. Nearly $2.85 billion in earnings were related to one-time items. Excluding these items, net earnings for the quarter were $486 million, or 85 cents per share, up from the $330 million, or 69 cents per share, reported last year. Analysts had been expecting earnings of 88 cents per share. Revenue increased to $7.49 billion compared to $2.03 billion last year. When trading ended Thursday, shares of Chesapeake Energy were up $1.42 to close at $22.07.

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