Aviva PLC (AV.)

What is Aviva?

Aviva plc (AV.) is a global insurance provider headquartered in London. It serves some 31 million customers around the world and offers a wide range of insurance, savings and investment products. Aviva is the largest insurer in the U.K. and one of Europe’s leading life and general insurance providers. As of April 2018, it had a market capitalisation of around £20 billion, putting it in the top 30 of the FTSE 100 index. The company has over 29,000 employees.

Aviva plc is one of a number of companies under the Aviva Group umbrella. Another is Aviva Investors, the asset management business of the Aviva Group. It manages £290 billion of assets for Aviva and other investors, from big companies and pension schemes to individual customers.Aviva Health UK, also part of the Aviva Group, is a private health insurance provider.

Who are the key people at Aviva?

Sir Adrian Montague has been Chairman of Aviva since April 2015, and has decades of experience in the financial services industry. Mark Wilson, a New Zealand national, is Group Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Business and Sustainable Development Commission. Thomas Stoddard is Chief Financial Officer, and Andy Briggs is Chief Executive Officer, UK Insurance.

What is the modern history of Aviva?

The Aviva brand name was launched in July 2002. It’s an invented word derived from "viva”, the Latin for “alive”, and was designed to be short, memorable and internationally useable. The group was established two years previously through the merger of CGU and Norwich Union in 2000. CGU itself was the product of the 1998 merger of Commercial Union and General Accident.

Notable acquisitions by Aviva have included the RAC plc breakdown recovery operation in 2005, and the U.S. financial services company AmerUs Group in 2006. RAC plc was sold to The Carlyle Group in 2011, and Aviva sold its occupational health business to Capita in 2012. Another major development came in 2015 with the £5.6 billion all-share takeover of Friends Life Group.

What are the latest developments at Aviva?

In 2017, Aviva grew its profits, dividends, capital and cash. Operating profit increased by 2% to £3.07 billion; operating earnings per share rose by 7% to 54.8p; and the full year dividend went up by 18%, the fourth successive year of double-digit dividend growth.The value of new business was up 25% to £1.24 billion.

From a 3-year low of 363p in July 2016, the Aviva share priceclimbed steadily until mid-2017, hitting a high of 542p in May that year. The second half of 2017 saw the shares heading down again to around the 500p level, where they remained in early 2018. To find out how the shares are doing right now, follow Capital.com. Our AV. chartputs all the information at your fingertips.

Where does Aviva operate?

Aviva has business units in 16 markets around the world. These are in the United Kingdom, in Europe (France, Italy and Poland), Asia (including China, India and Vietnam) and Canada. In the U.K., Aviva has locations in London, Dorking, Eastleigh, Bristol, Norwich, Sheffield, York, Perth and Bishopbriggs.

Where is Aviva traded?

Aviva is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The company is a member of a number of indices such as the FTSE 100, FTSE4Good, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and others. Check out Capital.com for the latest AV. chart. We’ll keep you up to date and in the picture.