Kansas City, Mo. ? H&R Block Inc., the nation’s largest tax preparer, said Monday it swung to a fourth-quarter profit, helped by a record-setting tax season and the sale of its troubled mortgage arm.

The company offered earnings guidance for this year above what Wall Street is expecting, and shares rose nearly 3 percent.

The Kansas City-based company earned $543.6 million, or $1.66 per share, in the three months ended April 30, compared with a loss of $85.6 million, or 26 cents per share, during the same period a year ago.

Excluding discontinued operations, including its Option One Mortgage Corp. subsidiary, the company said it earned $691.1 million, or $2.11 per share, compared with $591.2 million, or $1.81 per share, from continuing operations a year ago.