I hold these stock.

DYOH (do your own homework.)

To-day there was a slight drop in price, but number of analysts are giving favourable reports.

What triggered my interest was better than expected results and if I am right looking at charts it shows an inverted head and shoulders. Hopefully a good sign. Also the current rate of Share price growth is about 90% pa over the last 5weeks. This is unlikely to continue indefinitely but SP could hit 850p over next few weeks.

To-day at close, there were some large buys of about 5million shares. 40million approx.

Another trigger for me was the following which should increase earnings.

Aviva to form JV in Taiwan with First FinancialAFX
LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Aviva PLC, the UK's largest insurer, said it has entered into a joint venture with First Financial Holding Co Ltd to sell insurance and pension products in Taiwan. The joint venture company, First-Aviva, will distribute long-term savings and pension products in Taiwan through an exclusive agreement with First Financial's flagship unit, First Commercial Bank. Aviva, which will have a 49 pct stake in the joint venture, added that the initial paid up capital of the new company will be 34 mln stg.First Commercial Bank is Taiwan's second largest bank network, with five mln retail customers, it added.TFN.newsdesk@thomson.comkkb/faj/slm




Date: Wednesday 25 Apr 2007
LONDON (ShareCast) - If the message gets home that Aviva will not bid for Prudential, the stock should rebound strongly, especially if Aviva can sustain its current impressive performance. There is still work to be done but, at 794.5p, the shares are a strong buy says the Independent.
Date: Tuesday 24 Apr 2007
LONDON (ShareCast) - Aviva stood out among the risers on a tough day for blue chip stocks. The life insurer posted an upbeat first quarter statement with brokers pleased with the numbers.



DYOH

City watchdog to probe 30m financial policies

The City regulator is to investigate about 30 million insurance company policies over concerns that customers are subject to "unfair" conditions.

The investigation will include pensions, endowments, investment bonds and life insurance policies sold in the UK between the 1970s and 2000.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will look into policies which penalise savers who want to switch providers.

The FCA told the Daily Telegraph it might "intervene on exit charges".

more....

JP Morgan Cazenove Overweight 487.45 528.00 570.00 Reiterates

AVIVA SIMPLIFIES ITS ITALIAN JOINT VENTURES

AVIVA SIMPLIFIES ITS ITALIAN JOINT VENTURES
WITH UBI BANCA AND UNICREDIT

• Significant simplification of Aviva's life joint ventures in Italy to facilitate cash remittances

• Divestment of equity investments in UBI Banca subsidiary banks, increased ownership of joint ventures with UBI Banca and an extended distribution agreement with UBI Banca, delivering improved value of new business

• Restructuring of UniCredit joint venture, decoupling from UBI Banca, and a new distribution agreement with UniCredit focused on a selected product range


Aviva plc ("Aviva") announces that it has reached agreements with UBI Banca S.c.p.a. ("UBI Banca") and UniCredit S.p.A. ("UniCredit") to restructure its life joint ventures in Italy.

Aviva's current structure in Italy is complex. Aviva has two joint ventures with UBI Banca: one owned 50% by Aviva, and one owned 50% by Aviva S.p.A., itself a joint venture between UniCredit and Aviva. In addition, Aviva S.p.A. owns minority equity investments in three of UBI Banca's subsidiary banks.

The transaction is a significant simplification of Aviva's life business in Italy. As part of the restructuring, Aviva will increase its holding to 80% of the joint ventures that offer products to UBI Banca customers, with UBI Banca owning 20%. Aviva's distribution agreement with UBI Banca will be extended from 2015 to 2020, focused on savings and life protection products. Aviva S.p.A. will also sell the minority equity investments to UBI Banca. As a result, the indirect relationship between UniCredit and UBI Banca will be decoupled.

Aviva S.p.A., which will continue to be owned 51% by Aviva, will enter into a new five year distribution agreement with UniCredit offering selected products, and increased capital efficiency.

Aviva will make a balancing payment of approximately £25 million to fund the transaction. The transaction is expected to be broadly neutral to Aviva plc's economic capital and IFRS NAV at completion. The transaction is subject to customary approvals.

JP Morgan Cazenove Overweight 509.00 509.00 - 570.00 Reiterates

Deutsche Bank Hold 509.00 509.00 480.00 495.00 Reiterates

Interim Management Statement

AVIVA PLC CAPITAL MARKETS DAY

Aviva plc ("Aviva") today is hosting a capital markets day for analysts and investors (agenda and online joining instructions included below).

Mark Wilson, Group Chief Executive Officer, will set out the three central elements of Aviva's business strategy which can be summarised as:

1. True customer composite. Aviva is a composite offering its customers life, general and health insurance and asset management, and is the only composite of scale in the UK. Historically, the financial benefits of being a composite were clear: diversification benefits of risk and capital. The customer benefits were less evident. But as the world becomes more digital and less intermediated it will become easier to sell direct to customers and to package products. Being a true customer composite will enable Aviva to have a strong competitive advantage going forward.

2. Digital first. Digital is how Aviva will capitalise on being a true customer composite. It is how customers increasingly want to do business with Aviva. In the future, Aviva's focus will be to think digital first, and that means digital across all distribution channels; direct, IFA, broker, affinity and bancassurance for both consumers and business customers. Digital, and the advantages that come with automation, will be central to how Aviva operates.

3. Not everywhere. Aviva has reduced its footprint from 28 markets in 2011 to 17 today and improved its return on capital. Aviva will focus on a small number of markets where it has scale and profitability or a distinct competitive advantage. Aviva will actively reallocate capital to businesses where it can achieve the best returns.

Aviva will also set out today new targets to support the strategy and the investment thesis of cashflow and growth. Aviva will:

- double holding company annual excess cashflow[1] to £800 million by the end of 2016 (FY13: £0.4 billion)
- reduce the operating expense ratio to below 50% by the end of 2016 (FY13: 54%)


In addition, Aviva reiterated its deleveraging targets:

- to reduce the intercompany loan balance to £2.2 billion by the end of 2015
- to reduce the gross external leverage ratio to below 40% of tangible capital over the medium term

Mark Wilson, Group Chief Executive Officer, said:

"We have made some progress at Aviva and it is time to move to the next phase of the turnaround. With a clear strategy and targets in place, the size of the opportunity for Aviva is compelling. We acknowledge the challenges ahead, but we now have an exceptional leadership team to enable us to deliver."

don't know if big sin but shorted 501.good stop here.

Didnt wait for stop.out 502.2

Jefferies International Buy 493.00 493.00 - 584.00 Initiates/Starts

HY14 part 1 of 5

Jefferies International Buy 525.50 525.50 584.00 585.00 Reiterates

JP Morgan Cazenove Overweight 525.50 525.50 570.00 580.00 Reiterates

StockMarketWire.com
Aviva is to sell its holding in its joint venture CxG Aviva to Novacaixagalicia Banco for €287m in cash.

The transaction results from a decision by an arbitration tribunal in Madrid which concludes legal proceedings between Aviva and NCG Banco. The tribunal has determined a breach by NCG Banco of its shareholder agreement with Aviva following the merger of Caixa Galicia and Caixa Nova into Novacaixagalicia in December 2010, and the bank's subsequent restructuring in 2011.

The consideration represents a multiple of 25 times CxG Aviva's 2013 operating earnings.

Cash proceeds will increase Aviva's group liquidity by £226 million, and will be used for general corporate purposes. The transaction will increase Aviva's IFRS net asset value by approximately 4 pence per share and economic capital surplus by approximately £0.2bn as at HY 2014. In 2013 CxG Aviva contributed IFRS operating profit of £27m.

Aviva Europe chief executive David McMillan said: "This is a good outcome for Aviva which reflects the strong agreements we have in place. We remain focused on maximising returns from our Spanish business in a recovering economy, where we have strong partnerships with leading regional banks, as well as agency and broker distribution."

The transaction is expected to complete by the end of 2014 and is subject to regulatory approvals in Spain. Aviva's joint ventures with Banco Mare Nostrum, Banco CEIIS, Unicaja and Pelayo Seguros, and agency distribution unit Aviva Vida y Pensiones are unaffected by this ruling.

Ex dividend this Thursday 9th 5.85p.

Credit Suisse Outperform 513.75 575.00 575.00 Retains

Exane BNP Paribas Underperform 513.75 485.00 485.00 Reiterates

Panmure Gordon Hold 513.75 585.00 505.00 Downgrades

Jefferies International Buy 513.75 585.00 585.00 Reiterates

Synergies from Aviva-Friends Life deal could be 'substantial', says The Share Centre

Mon 24 November 2014 16:04 | A A A
No recommendation
No news or research item is a personal recommendation to deal. Hargreaves Lansdown may not share ShareCast's (powered by Digital Look) views.

The proposed tie-up between insurance groups Aviva and Friends Life Group could create "substantial synergies", according to The Share Centre, details of which still remain unknown.

Register for Aviva plc share research updates
The companies announced after the close on Friday that they had agreed on terms for a possible all-share combination. Friends Life shareholders would get 0.74 Aviva shares for each Friends Life share they own, valuing Friends Life at 398.9p per share or £5.6bn.

Sheridan Admans, investment research manager at The Share Centre, said: "Should the deal happen analysts believe synergies would be substantial, with Aviva's balance sheet benefiting as would its pensions and protection operations. Friends Life investors should benefit from improved growth prospects."

However, she warned that the merger is still "not a done deal".

"Friends Life investors may push for a higher premium or other interested parties may show their hand, however the latter is assumed to be unlikely given the size of the deal and the implication that may pose."

Due to the merger activity, The Share Centre has downgraded its rating on Aviva to 'hold' until more details are released, but said that any weakness in the share price might by a good entry point for potential investors given the positive long-term outlook.

Friends Life is also rated a 'hold'.

OFFER FOR FRIENDS LIFE GROUP LIMITED BY AVIVA PLC

RECOMMENDED ALL-SHARE ACQUISITION OF
FRIENDS LIFE GROUP LIMITED BY AVIVA PLC
Summary
· The Boards of Aviva and Friends Life are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended all-share acquisition of Friends Life by Aviva.
· Under the terms of the Proposed Acquisition, holders of Friends Life Shares will receive 0.74 New Aviva Shares for each Friends Life Share they hold.
· Based on the Exchange Ratio and the Closing Price of Aviva and Friends Life shares as at 20 November 2014 (being the last business day prior to talks between Aviva and Friends Life being made public), the Proposed Acquisition, excluding the payment to RCAP in relation to the Value Share and Friends Life's proposed second interim dividend payment in respect of the 2014 financial year (each as described below), values each Friends Life Share at 394p and Friends Life's existing issued ordinary share capital at approximately £5.6 billion, representing a premium of:
- 15 per cent. to the Closing Price of 343p per Friends Life Share on 20 November 2014; and
- 27 per cent. to the average Closing Price of 310p per Friends Life Share for the three-month period ended 20 November 2014.
· Based on the Exchange Ratio and the Closing Price of Aviva as at 1 December 2014, the Proposed Acquisition values each Friends Life Share at 370p, which represents a premium of 8 per cent. to the closing price of 343p per Friends Life Share on 20 November 2014.
· In addition, assuming the Proposed Acquisition completes, Friends Life Shareholders who are on the Friends Life shareholder register at the Friends Life Record Date will also be entitled to receive, in place of Friends Life's 2014 final dividend, Friends Life's proposed second interim dividend of 24.1p per share, in respect of the 2014 financial year, resulting in a 2014 full year dividend of 31.15p per share. In the event that the Proposed Acquisition does not complete, Friends Life expects that its 2014 final dividend and therefore its 2014 full year dividend would be in line with Friends Life's 2013 final dividend and 2013 full year dividend, respectively. Friends Life Shareholders will have no entitlement to Aviva's proposed 2014 final dividend.
· The Proposed Acquisition would result in Friends Life Shareholders owning approximately 26 per cent. of the issued ordinary share capital of the Enlarged Aviva Group.
· The Proposed Acquisition accelerates Aviva's investment thesis of "cash flow plus growth" with a financial and strategic rationale that the board of Aviva believes creates a compelling opportunity for the Enlarged Aviva Group to create value for both sets of shareholders:
Financial
- Expected to generate approximately £0.6 billion incremental Holdco Excess Cash Flow per annum[1];
- Gives rise to a combined central liquidity position of £2.4 billion[2];
- Reduces "day 1" external debt leverage and S&P Leverage to a level consistent with an S&P AA rating, beyond Aviva's medium term objectives, with no requirement to further deleverage the Enlarged Aviva Group;
- Expected to generate approximately £225 million of run-rate annual cost synergies by the end of 2017, which Aviva has valued at approximately £1.8 billion[3]. Aviva believes these synergies will deliver substantial value and increase cash flow generation and expects significant additional value through capital, financial and revenue synergies over time; and
- Accelerates Aviva's expected dividend growth, with the intention, in the medium term, to move dividend cover to approximately 2x operating EPS on an IFRS basis.
Strategic
- Secures position as the leading insurance and savings business in the Enlarged Aviva Group's home market, with 16 million customers in the UK (prior to the deduction of overlapping customers);
- Increases scale in attractive segments of the UK Life market including leadership position in Corporate Pensions, Protection and At-Retirement;
- Opportunity for Aviva Investors to add up to approximately £70 billion[4] of Friends Life's UK assets under administration, increasing its AuM by up to 29 per cent., to up to approximately £309 billion[5];
- Brings 5 million current Friends Life customers to Aviva, who stand to benefit from being part of a stronger and more diversified group with a wider product range, and enables Aviva to accelerate its Digital First and True Customer Composite strategies;
- Adds significant scale to Aviva's existing UK Life back book, as well as a management team with the expertise to unlock further value from UK Life insurance back books; and
- Enables investment in the Enlarged Aviva Group's growth businesses.
· The Aviva Directors propose to pay a 2014 final dividend of 12.25p per share, representing a 30 per cent. increase on the 2013 final dividend per share, and resulting in a 2014 full year dividend of 18.1p per share. The Aviva Directors believe the Proposed Acquisition would be broadly neutral to Aviva's operating EPS once full run-rate synergies are achieved, expected by the end of 2017.
· The Aviva Directors believe the Proposed Acquisition brings together two successful management teams, combining Aviva's particular expertise in cost reduction and turnaround with Friends Life's expertise in business integration and back book management.
· Following the Proposed Acquisition, it is anticipated that, Andy Briggs, the current Group Chief Executive of Friends Life, will become Chief Executive Officer of Aviva UK Life and will join the board of Aviva as an Executive Director. Shortly after the Scheme becomes Effective, it is expected that Sir Malcolm Williamson, the current Chairman of Friends Life, will join the board of Aviva as Senior Independent Director and it is anticipated that a further Non-Executive Director of Friends Life will join the board of Aviva.
· The Exchange Ratio and implied premium have been agreed between Aviva and Friends Life having taken into account the impact of the Value Share and the consideration that will be due from Friends Life to RCAP under the terms of the Limited Partnership Agreement.
· At completion of the Proposed Acquisition, Friends Life is required to settle the Value Share in cash. The cash consideration payable to RCAP is expected by Friends Life to be approximately £220 million. However, under the terms of the Limited Partnership Agreement, RCAP can elect to receive the consideration in Friends Life Shares. If RCAP elects for shares, any Friends Life Shares would be acquired by Aviva immediately following completion of the Proposed Acquisition at the Exchange Ratio in connection with the proposed implementation of the Scheme.

more..

Jefferies International Buy 506.00 506.00 585.00 608.00 Reiterates

That would be nice!

From the Telegraph

If Mark Wilson can pull off his proposed takeover of Friends Life, investors will be in for a profitable ride.

The mooted acquisition will right Aviva’s balance sheet and should provide for a steady dividend stream for some time to come.

The deal is not without its risks: investors may yet decide it is not for them, and even if both sides vote yes, it may be that the enlarged company is too focused on the UK.

That said, Wilson is a man who knows insurers in and out, and has a strong track record when it comes to acquisitions.
He would not have considered this deal in the first place if he didn’t think it was something that could truly transform Aviva’s balance sheet, and its potential in the future.

Aviva’s shares have oscillated within a relatively fixed range in the last 12 months, but if the Friends deal is a-go, then they should have the potential to perform strongly.

Panmure Gordon Buy 548.25 585.00 660.00 Retains