Under Armour Inc. said fourth-quarter profit surged 28%, as the athletic-goods maker posted strong sales growth, particularly in accessories.

The company's share price rose about 9% in recent premarket trading Thursday, as the results easily beat analyst expectations and the company provided an upbeat outlook for the current year.

For 2014, Under Armour projected revenue of $2.84 billion--$2.87 billion, compared with $2.77 billion recently projected by analysts.

Under Armour's growth has been bolstered by new apparel, well-received footwear offerings and a renewed focus to win over more female consumers.

The Baltimore-based company, known for products that include "moisture-wicking" shirts and athletic shoes, last November acquired popular workout application company MapMyFitness for $150 million. The move was aimed at expanding Under Armour's existing digital offerings and beefing up its plans to become a premiere sports products company.

Under Armour reported a fourth-quarter profit of $64.2 million, or 59 cents a share, up from $50.1 million, or 47 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue climbed 35% to $682.76 million.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters recently forecast earnings of 53 cents a share on revenue of $620 million.

The bulk of Under Armour's business is derived from North America, with sales from that region rising 37% in the quarter. But the athletic-gear maker is also looking to become a more global brand that can compete with larger rivals Nike Inc. and Adidas AG.

Net revenue from overseas, which Under Armour has called its biggest growth opportunity, grew 12% to $37.6 million in the latest quarter.

Meantime, the company's accessories business led growth in the quarter, with sales climbing 52% to $545.5 million. Apparel and footwear sales soared as well, up 35% and 24%, respectively.

Gross margin widened to 51.3% from 50.3%.

Through Wednesday's close, the company's stock had risen 4.6% in the past three months.