Carlyle Group laid out an improving outlook for the rest of the year on Wednesday after reporting better-than-expected profit for the second quarter, helped by a pickup in fees as it grew its assets under management.

Carlyle Group Inc. pulled off a string of private equity exits in the second quarter, boosting earnings during a stretch when other buyout rivals struggled to sell out of bets profitably.

Carlyle Group reported a 25.6% growth in second-quarter profit on Wednesday, helped by a pickup in fees as it grew its assets under management.

The private-equity firm’s profit rose amid what its executives called the best environment for selling assets in years.