(REUTERS) -- Aon Corp., the world's largest insurance broker, posted a higher quarterly profit that narrowly beat market estimates on higher revenues from its human resources segment.

For the October-December quarter, net income attributable to shareholders from continuing operations rose to $277 million, or 82 cents a share, from $232 million, or 67 cents a share, a year ago.

Excluding items, earnings from continuing operations were 97 cents a share.

Total revenue rose 3 pct to $3 billion.

Revenue from its human resources solutions unit rose 3 percent to $1.2 billion.

Analysts, on average, had expected a profit of 96 cents a share on revenue of $3 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Aon shares closed at $49.37 on Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Aman Shah in Bangalore; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

New York New York New York