NEW YORK (AP) ? Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., the largest US insurance brokerage, yesterday reported a six-fold increase in profit for the fourth quarter on strong revenue growth in its insurance, risk and consulting businesses.

The New York-based company said net income in the October-December period totalled $226 million, or 40 cents a share, up from $35 million, or 6 cents a share, a year earlier.

Marsh & McLennan has been recovering from a sharp loss of income following its January 2005 settlement of the New York attorney general?s probe into bid rigging, price fixing and the use of contingent commissions, or incentive fees.

Marsh & McLennan agreed to pay $850 million to settle the New York case and related federal investigations and has since restructured its sales and marketing practices.

Marsh & McLennan sold its Sedgwick Claims Management business early in 2006. Net income, excluding this and other discontinued operations, was $223 million, or 39 cents a share, in the latest quarter.

The results were stronger than the 36 cents a share expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.

Revenue was $3.06 billion, up 9 percent from $2.81 billion a year earlier. That, too, was above the $2.93 billion expects by analysts, Thomson Financial said.

Michael G. Cherkasky, president and chief executive officer, called it a good quarter and said the company saw ?its strongest revenue growth in three years?.

He added: ?Revenues from new business at Marsh were the highest they have been since the first half of 2004. In light of this, we are encouraged about Marsh?s prospects in 2007.?

Cherkasky noted that Marsh & McLennan earlier this month announced it was selling its Putnam Investments division to a Canadian financial services company for $3.9 billion in cash.

?The announced sale of Putnam will enhance our financial flexibility and allow us to concentrate on our market-leading risk and human capital businesses,? Cherkasky said.

Revenue in the company?s risk and insurance services, including its Marsh and Guy Carpenter divisions, rose to $1.37 billion (euro1.05 billion) in the fourth quarter from $1.32 billion (euro1.01 billion) a year earlier.

Revenue for Kroll, which specialises in risk consulting and technology, increased to $241 million from $215 million, while revenue at Mercer human resource consulting rose to $1.11 billion from $966 million. Revenues were flat at $359 million at Putnam.

Net income for the full year was $990 million, or $1.76 a share, up from $404 million, or 74 cents a share in 2005.

Revenue was $11.92 billion, up from $11.58 billion in 2005.