Insurance company Aegon booked net profit of €204m in 2009, thanks to better than expected fourth quarter figures.

The company booked net profit of €393m in the final three months of the year, well above analysts’ forecasts and the fourth straight quarterly increase.
CEO Alex Wynaendts said in a statement the company’s measures had delivered ‘solid results – a return to profit, reduced expenses and continued customer confidence’.
But he warned that the business environment remains ‘uncertain’.
The return to profitability has been partly due to cost savings, Aegon said. Over the year, spending has been trimmed to the tune of €250m while the workforce has been cut by 7% to just over 25,000.