UPDATE 1-Symantec profit rises as it signs more big deals

(Adds CEO statement, earnings forecast, share prices.)

BOSTON, July 30 (Reuters) - Symantec Corp (SYMC.O), the world's largest security software maker, reported higher quarterly profit on Wednesday, beating Wall Street expectations, as it signed more large contracts.

Its shares rose 4.5 percent after it released the results.

Net income rose to $186.7 million, or 22 cents per share, during the fiscal first-quarter, which ended July 4, from $95.2 million, or 10 cents, a year earlier when it had more shares outstanding.

Revenue rose 18 percent to $1.65 billion.

Chief Executive John Thompson said a large number of deals included multiple software products.

"The quarter's strong growth was driven by our team's ability to cross-sell and up-sell," he said in a statement.

The company reported profit excluding items of 40 cents per share, beating the 35 cent average forecast of analysts polled by Reuters Estimates.

During the quarter it signed 85 contracts with a value greater than $1 million, compared with 48 in the year-earlier period.