24% rise in Aon's second-quarter profit; General Growth rides retail increase to turnthe corner on mall rentals, Navteq maps out record revenues

Aon Corp. said second-quarter profit rose 24 percent as newcorporate clients boosted revenue.

The Chicago insurance broker also announced plans to spin off orsell a 6,800-employee accident, health and life insurance unit.

Net income increased to $240 million, or 75 cents a share, from$193 million, on 13 percent higher revenue of $2.49 billion.

Chief Executive Gregory Case is planning to shed CombinedInsurance Company of America, founded by Chicago icon W. ClementStone. Combined is the last of Aon's insurance underwritingoperations, as Case wins new clients in his biggest business,helping corporations shop for coverage.

He sold the last of his property and liability insuranceunderwriting units last year.

In other earnings news Tuesday:

General Growth Properties Inc., the second-largest owner of U.S.shopping malls, swung to a second-quarter profit as it increasedstore rents amid a rise in retail sales nationwide.

Net income totaled $8.4 million, or 3 cents a share, comparedwith a loss of $25.8 million, or 11 cents, a year earlier.

Funds from operations, a measure of cash flow used by real estateinvestment trusts, rose 16 percent to $210.3 million, or 71 cents ashare.

General Growth's second-quarter revenue rose 4 percent to $740.1million.

Occupancy at General Growth's malls was 92.9 percent at the endof the second quarter, up from 91.2 percent a year earlier.

Sales per square foot averaged $458 in the second quarter, up 2.2percent from a year earlier.

Navteq Corp. said surging growth in maps for portable devicesboosted its net income 72 percent to $40.9 million, or 42 cents ashare.

The quarter also saw record revenue of $202.3 million, up 49percent for the Chicago-based digital mapmaker.

CEO Judson Green also cited "relative stability in our automotivebusiness despite unfavorable car sales trends in our coregeographies."

Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. said second-quarterprofit more than doubled on overseas sales growth and a one-time taxbenefit. The shares rose as much as 9.8 percent, closing up about 7percent.

Net income for the recruiting firm increased to $21.02 million,or $1.11 a share, from $10.39 million, or 55 cents, a year earlier.Sales rose 33 percent to $167 million, the Chicago-based companysaid.

Shares of Heidrick & Struggles jumped $3.65 to $53.74. Shareshave gained 66 percent in the past year.

True Value, the Chicago-based hardware co-operative, reported a12.5 percent increase in net profit to $27 million, and a same-store sales increase of 1.5 percent from a year ago.

Sales were flat at $594.4 million.

Nicor, the suburban natural gas company, posted flat second-quarter net income of $18 million, or 40 cents per share.

The 2006 second quarter results included a $10 million chargeassociated with a Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry.Without the charge, the results would've been 41 cents per share.