Hotels, energy and financial services conglomerate Loews Corp reported a better-than-expected 16 percent increase in quarterly profit, helped by higher net investment income from its limited partnerships.

Net income for the fourth quarter was $466 million, or $1.12 per share, compared with net income of $403 million, or $0.94 per share, in the same quarter last year.

The company earned $1.17 a share, excluding items, compared with analysts' expectations of 88 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Net investment income rose 20 percent to $711 million.

Loews' largest holding, commercial insurer CNA Financial , also reported better-than-expected results, helped by strong investment income from its property and casualty operations.

The company resumed its quarterly dividend and said it will pay 10 cents as quarterly dividend on March 2, to shareholders of record on February 16.

CNA Financial's net operating income was $326 million, or $1.21 a share, compared with $197 million, or 73 cents a share, in the year-ago period.

According to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, the company earned $1.06 versus Wall Street view of 69 cents a share. (Reporting by Sweta Singh in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel)