Shares of UTi Worldwide Inc. rose Thursday after the logistics company said higher freight volumes – a sign of an improving market – enabled it to report a better-than-expected second quarter.

The Long Beach company reported net income of $18.9 million (19 cents a share) for the quarter ended July 31, compared with $11.7 million (12 cents) a year earlier. Revenue rose 37 percent to $1.15 billion.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters on average expected the company to report per-share earnings of 17 cents on revenue of $1.08 billion.

“Air freight and ocean freight volumes continued to grow faster than the market and were higher than volumes recorded in the second quarter two years ago, prior to the financial crisis,” Chief Executive Eric Kirchner said in a statement. He also noted that better operating margins helped the results, but high transportation rates were a drag on growth.

UTi said it expected volume growth to moderate during the second half of the year.

Shares were up 82 cents, or nearly 6 percent to $15.16 in midday trading on the Nasdaq.