UPDATE 1 — H&M's operating profit grows more than expected in third quarter

(Updates with Q3 operating profit and sales figures in paragraphs 2-3) STOCKHOLM, Sept 24 (Reuters) — Swedish fashion retailer H&M on Thursday reported a bigger rise than expected in June-August operating profit, and said it expected sales in September to be up 1% in local currencies. Operating profit in H&M's fiscal third quarter increased to 6.04 billion crowns ($608.63 million) against a year-earlier 4.91 billion crowns and a mean forecast in an LSEG poll of analysts of 5.14 billion. Sales increased 1% in the period measured in local currencies. Analysts had expected sales to grow at a sluggish pace in the third quarter. ($1 = 9.9239 Swedish crowns) (Reporting by Greta Rosen Fondahn and Helen Reid, editing by Terje Solsvik) ((Greta.RosenFondahn@thomsonreuters.com;)