insurance business and sell all or part of its real estate unit.

Chubb, the 13th-largest US property and casualty insurer, said it hired Goldman Sachs & Co. to help set its strategy regarding the life insurance unit.

Shares of the Warren, New Jersey-based company jumped after the company held a private meeting with securities analysts late on Thursday.

Analysts last week said Chubb Chairman and Chief Executive Dean O'Hare told them he had lost patience with the units and was exploring its "strategic options.'' The analysts, who listened on a call closed to the public, said they would approve Chubb's getting out of these businesses.

Chubb on Friday declined to confirm its comments to analysts.