NEW YORK (Reuters) - Marsh & McLennan Co Inc (MMC), the world’s second-largest insurance broker, beat analysts’ profit estimates for the sixth quarter in a row, helped by improving insurance prices and lower costs.It was the final time that MMC will report quarterly earnings under the stewardship of Bermudian chief executive officer Brian Duperreault, who is scheduled to retire at the end of the year at the age of 65.Brokers like Marsh & McLennan have benefited as global insurers have raised rates, reacting to higher catastrophe losses last year.Income from continuing operations rose to $246 million, or 43 cents per share, in the third quarter from $133 million, or 23 cents per share, a year earlier.Excluding one-time items, the company earned 39 cents per share. Total revenue rose one percent to $2.8 billion.Analysts on average had expected the company to earn 38 cents per share on revenue of $2.92 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.Underlying revenue at company’s risk and insurance services segment, increased four percent to $1.5 billion, while that from consulting rose three percent to $1.3 billion, the company said.“Each of our operating companies continued to generate growth in underlying revenue, which, combined with ongoing expense discipline, produced across-the-board improvement in operating margins and profitability,” Mr Duperreault said.The company provides management consulting, human resource consulting, outsourcing and risk and reinsurance intermediary services.MMC, which has a market capitalisation of $18.64 billion, competes with Aon Plc in negotiating insurance and reinsurance policies for corporate clients.Last month, Aon, the world’s largest insurance broker, posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit, and saw its profit grow for the first time in three quarters.Shares of the company have risen about eight percent this year, trailing the broader S&P Insurers Index .GSPINSE, which has gained 15 percent during the same period.