GM’s Second-Quarter Almost Doubles

General Motors Co.’s second-quarter profit almost doubled on rising U.S. sales, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

Net earnings rose to $2.52 billion, or $1.54 a share, from $1.33 billion, or 85 cents, a year earlier, GM said Thursday. Sales rose 19% to $39.4 billion.

The No. 1 U.S. automaker’s domestic sales rose 11% to 669,065 light vehicles in the quarter, according to Autodata Corp., Bloomberg reported.

In Europe, GM made $100 million. The company’s international operations unit, which includes China, made $600 million and GM made $100 million in South America.

The U.S. government took a 61% ownership of GM as part of the automaker’s government-led bailout and bankruptcy reorganization in 2009, Bloomberg said.