Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. said second-quarter earnings jumped 60 percent as the Los Angeles company sold more metal products at higher prices.

Reliance, considered North America’s largest operator of metal service centers, on Thursday reported net income of $98.7 million ($1.31 per share), compared with $61.5 million (83 cents) a year ago. Sales rose 26 percent to $2.05 billion.

The earnings met the expectation of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, but sales were a little below the analysts’ consensus of $2.07 billion.

“We are pleased with our results, which were slightly better than we originally expected,” Chief Executive David Hannah said in a statement. “Non-residential construction was still weak, but showed some signs of life with spotty improvements. Our auto-related … volumes were negatively impacted by the crisis in Japan but are now recovering nicely.”

Citing seasonal slowing of orders and a slight softening in metals prices, the company expects third-quarter earnings in a range of $1.05 to $1.15 per share, which is lower than analysts’ consensus of $1.17.

Reliance on Wednesday announced that it had negotiated a new $1.5 billion credit facility that was a half billion dollars larger than the old facility. The company earlier this month announced that it was acquiring Continental Alloys & Services Inc., a Houston company that makes products for the oil and gas industry, for an undisclosed amount.

Shares were up 86 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $48.05 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.