Marsh & McLennan's chief executive officer Brian Duperreault said he has seen evidence of an economic rebound.

"We are seeing some signs that the effects of the Great Recession are weakening," Bermudian Mr. Duperreault said yesterday in a conference call.

Mr. Duperreault's comments came after MMC announced quarterly earnings that slightly missed analyst estimates.

The company reported adjusted earnings of 27 cents a share in the third quarter. Analysts in a FactSet Research survey expected profit of 28 cents a share.

Revenue at MMC's main Risk and Insurance Services division climbed two percent in the period, excluding currency fluctuations, acquisitions and sales of businesses.

The New York-based company's shares fell 3.2 percent to $25.15 in yesterday's trading.