Buoyed by strong growth in the vision-care unit during its latest reporting period, The Cooper Companies Inc. (NYSE:COO) last night raised its earnings and revenue forecast for the rest of the year, sending the company’s stock on a tear when trading began this morning.

Shares of the Pleasanton, Calif.-based company today climbed above $70.00 each, establishing a new 52-week high and carrying the stock within an whisker of doubling its price over the past nine months. At last glance, Cooper shares were up about 10 percent, adding $6.32 to trade at $69.94 apiece.

The company boosted its adjusted earnings forecast by as much as $0.40 a share over its prior guidance, now forecasting profits in a range between $3.60 to $3.80 per share.

Like the now-concluded fiscal first quarter, the added confidence results from expectations of between 10 percent to nearly 12 percent growth for the CooperVision (CVI) unit. Revenue growth within CVI during the three months ended Jan. 1 was 13 percent, just topping the 12 percent growth of the CooperSurgical unit.

Combined, Cooper Cos. generated $1.16 billion in revenues during fiscal 2010.