BlackRock Inc , the world's largest asset manager, said its third-quarter profit increased 8 percent as investors sought out the firm's exchange-traded funds despite tough market conditions.

New York-based BlackRock said earnings were $595 million, or $3.23 a share, compared with $551 million, or $2.83 per share, a year earlier.

Excluding some nonoperating income and expenses, BlackRock earned $2.83 a share. On that basis, analysts on average expected $2.63, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

While individual investors withdrew money from many mutual fund companies during the third quarter, BlackRock benefited from its market-leading line up of exchange-traded funds, which took in $10.8 billion for the period.

Hit by the quarter's turbulent markets, assets under management totaled $3.345 trillion, down 9 percent during the quarter and 3 percent from a year earlier.

Shares of BlackRock, which is partially owned by PNC Financial Services Group

and Barclays PLC , gained 3.7 percent to $156.30 on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. The shares are down 18 percent so far this year.

(Reporting by Aaron Pressman; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

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