Aetna Life & Casualty’s profit rose 2%...

Aetna Life & Casualty’s profit rose 2% to $248 million in the second quarter, compared to the year-ago period. Results this year included a $24-million one-time tax gain and a $31.3-million tax gain in last year’s quarter, the Hartford, Conn., company said. The earnings improvement in casualty-property businesses substantially exceeded the anticipated lower results in group insurance operations, the company added.