Insurance broker Aon profit beats estimates on strong demand for risk management

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Insurance brokerage firm Aon AON.N beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter profit on Friday, amid robust demand for its risk-management solutions.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Despite mounting concerns over the macroeconomic uncertainty, spending on insurance has remained resilient.

Businesses and individuals are prioritizing risk-management products, fueling revenue for Aon and peers, as they work with several insurers to give clients wider coverage.

Brokers generate revenue through commissions based on premiums, tying their performance closely to the insurance industry numbers.

BY THE NUMBERS

Adjusted profit attributable to Aon's shareholders rose to $660 million, or $3.05 per share, for the quarter ended September 30, up from $594 million, or $2.72 per share, a year earlier.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of $2.91 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Revenue from Aon's commercial risk solutions unit jumped 7% to $1.99 billion.

The company also posted revenue growth in both its health and wealth-solutions units.

MARKET CONTEXT

Aon, whose shares have fallen 8.6% this year, is sharpening its focus on core insurance brokerage operations. Last month, it agreed to sell a majority of NFP's wealth business to private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners for $2.7 billion.

Peer Marsh McLennan's MMC.N shares tumbled earlier this month after it reported flat operating margins and slowing growth in its risk and insurance business.

Softening rates, an uneven economy and macro uncertainty are weighing on demand from large clients across the industry, analysts have said.

KEY QUOTE

"We remain confident in achieving our full-year 2025 financial targets and are well-positioned to deliver sustainable growth in 2026 and beyond," said CEO Greg Case in a statement.