Insurance Unit Sends Loews Corp Profit Up NEW YORK (Reuters) - Loews Corp., the conglomerate controlled by the Tisch family, on Thursday said fourth-quarter profit rose 37 percent, helped by investment gains at insurer CNA Financial Corp., its largest business. New York-based Loews (LTR.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) , whose holdings include financial, tobacco, energy and hotel companies, said net income rose to $502.8 million, or $2.41 per share, from $367.4 million, or $1.79 per share, a year earlier. Analysts polled by Reuters Estimates on average forecast profit of $1.59 per share. Revenue fell 7 percent to $4.05 billion, largely reflecting CNA's sale of its group benefits and individual life insurance businesses. Loews owns a 91 percent stake in Chicago-based CNA, the No. 7 U.S. commercial insurer. CNA (CNA.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) profit rose 75 percent, more than analysts forecast. Profit also exceeded analysts' forecasts at Carolina Group (CG.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) , a tracking stock for Loews' Lorillard Inc. tobacco unit. Loews Chief Executive James Tisch is a son of the late former co-chairman Laurence Tisch, and nephew of current Chairman Preston Robert Tisch, whose net worth is $3 billion according to Forbes magazine. CNA, CAROLINA CNA profit rose to $305 million, or $1.12 per share, from $174 million, or 67 cents per share, a year earlier. Analysts forecast 65 cents per share. The insurer posted $104 million of realized investment gains, largely from its bond holdings. It also said it benefited from improved underwriting results. Revenue fell 18 percent to $2.51 billion. Carolina profit rose 36 percent to $161.6 million. Profit attributable to Carolina shareholders rose 61 percent to $56.1 million, or 93 cents per share, from $34.8 million, or 73 cents per share. Analysts forecast 79 cents per share. Net sales rose 6 percent to $832.5 million. The increase reflected an increase in unit sales volume of 2.9 percent, which was partially offset by higher sales promotional costs. Lorillard's cigarette brands include Newport, Kent and True. Revenue at other Loews units also increased. Revenue at Loews Hotels rose 12 percent to $81.3 million. Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (DO.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) rose 33 percent to $252.3 million, and Boardwalk Pipelines LLC rose 6 percent to $79.8 million. Quelle "Insurance Unit Sends Loews Corp Profit Up" : reuters.com Main page for "Insurance Unit Sends Loews Corp Profit Up"