Video game publisher THQ Inc. late Wednesday reported better-than-expected adjusted results for its fiscal fourth quarter.

After the markets closed, the Agoura Hills company reported a net loss of $10.4 million (-15 cents a share) for the quarter ended March 31, compared with a loss of $96.9 million (-$1.44) a year earlier. Net sales rose 16 percent to nearly $198 million.

Excluding one-time items, THQ’s recorded a profit of 6 cents per share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters on average expected the publisher of the “Saints Row” and “WWE Smackdown vs Raw” franchises to report per-share profit of 1 cent on revenue of more than $179 million.

For the full fiscal year, the company reported a net loss of $9 million (-13 cents), compared with a loss of $431 million (-$6.45) in fiscal 2009. Net sales rose 8 percent to $899 million.

“In fiscal 2010, we achieved a successful turnaround, grew market share and exceeded our financial and operating targets,” said Chief Executive Brian Farrell in a statement. “We have streamlined our cost structure, which will provide us with increased operating leverage in our model as our business continues to grow.”

THQ during the year ended its longtime partnership Jakks Pacific Inc. so it could produce toys and video games based on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. characters. It subsequently signed an eight-year publishing agreement with the WWE.

For fiscal 2011, THQ forecast adjusted earnings of 25 cents to 30 cents a share on gross revenue of $905 million to $920 million.

Earlier, shares closed down 39 cents, or 5 percent, to $7.05 on the Nasdaq, but were up 5 percent in after-market trading.