Aviva CEO and husband snap up shares Costain directors make confidence purchase Morgan Advanced Materials director buys 25,000 shares CEO Amanda Blanc of insurance group Aviva (AV.) and a person closely connected with her, Kenneth Blanc have bought 25,736 shares at 623p, for a total value of £160,335 on 4 September. The Blanc's purchases reaffirm confidence in the company. The insurance group...

London's blue chip index ended the day lower on Friday, despite earlier advances, as a weaker-than-expected US employment report sparked fears that its jobs engine might be stalling. 'The [US] labour market is in a precarious position,' said analysts at Wells Fargo, putting the Federal Open Market Committee in a position 'where it will imminently start cutting the federal funds rate.' The FTSE...

Continued outperformance in 1H Interim dividend up 35% Shares trading at premium Valued-focused investment trust Temple Bar (TMPL) delivered another period of outperformance for the six months to 30 June,with the total return in net asset value increasing 14.2% against 9.1% for the benchmark. The trust continued its strong absolute and relative performance with three-year share price total...

Both insurers beat 1H forecasts Dividends also better than hoped Shares up 35% and 45% this year After the disappointment of Beazley (BEZ) cutting its growth forecast yesterday (13 August), it was a good day for investors in insurers Admiral (ADM) and Aviva (AV.) with both firms posting positive updates and raising their dividends more than expected. Admiral shares climbed 250p or 7.5% to...

1Q revenue up 10% Organic growth of 8% Marlowe deal on track Facilities management group Mitie (MTO) pleased the market with its first-quarter trading statement and update on progress with the Marlowe (MRL) acquisition. The shares initially jumped as much as 10p or 7% to 147p before settling back at 139p for a gain of 2p or 1.4%. > More detailed chart UNDERLYING MOMENTUM For the three months...

Helge Lund to step downSuccession process underwayCEO Auchincloss feeling the heatBP (BP.) shares cheapened 2.9% to 389p in early dealings after the oil major said chair Helge Lund will step down 'in due course', news that arrived just weeks after the FTSE 100 group announced a pivot away from green energy.London-headquartered BP has kick-started a succession process to select a new chair to...

Burford team invest $17.5 millionPhoenix director raises £538,000 LXi execs cash in for £47 millionTop executives at litigation finance firm Burford Capital (BUR:AIM) invested a total of $17.5 million (£13.5 million) in the company's shares earlier this month through its deferred compensation scheme, with chief executive Christopher Bogart committing to 630,249 shares at a cost of £6.65...

Premium growth muted by designMargins improve substantiallyDividend up 44% plus buybackPatience is a virtue, and investors in motor insurer Sabre (SBRE) have finally been rewarded after the group posted slightly better-than-expected results, hiked the dividend and announced a small buyback, the first in its history.The shares, which had been languishing at 12-month lows, jumped 10p or 8% to...

Operating profit above forecastsInsurance and wealth business strongDirect Line to add 10% to EPS growthDespite a muted response, shareholders in insurance and savings group Aviva (AV.) will be pleased with full-year 2024 results which beat market expectations both in terms of earnings and cash generation.The shares, which have gained 12% so far this year, added another 4p or 0.7% to 529p on a...

European, UK and US central banks started cutting interest rates in June, August and September 2024, respectively, yet beady-eyed investors will have noticed that 10-year bond yields are higher today than they were then.The move higher in yields reflects increasing investor nervousness over high government budget deficits, sticky inflation and uncertainty caused by US trade tariffs.Those...

Price raised 10% to 275p/shareObvious synergies between companiesCould lead to 'more rational pricing'Shareholders in insurer Direct Line (DLG) enjoyed a small lift in the value of their holdings heading into the weekend after the firm received a raised takeover offer from larger rival Aviva (AV.).Direct Line shares climbed 16p or 7% to 252p, some 25p or 10% shy of the 275p price implied by...

London stocks opened mostly lower on Friday as house prices reach a record high, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer sets out his plan to improve UK growth.Starmer made living standards a key target as he outlined his 'next phase' on Thursday, saying he wanted to see real household disposable income rise by the next election.But in an interview with BBC Breakfast, Starmer said: 'I want people to...

250p offer equals a 60% premiumBoard calls it 'highly opportunistic'Analyst suggests 270p valuationMotor and home insurer Direct Line Insurance (DLG) received its third bid of 2024 with larger UK rival Aviva (AV.) pitching a 250p cash-and-shares after the closing bell last night.Direct Line shares jumped 59p or 37% to 218p, more than reversing their losses year-to-date and leaving them at a...

Stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were in the green on Thursday morning, with Direct Line shining on the FTSE 250, as traders in New York sit on the sidelines amid the Thanksgiving holiday.The FTSE 100 index added 17.45 points, 0.2%, at 8,292.20. The FTSE 250 rose 133.28 points, 0.7%, at 20,734.91, and the AIM All-Share added 0.32 of a point at 731.72.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at...

It's said there are only two certainties in life ? death and taxes ? and as it stands the world is steadily getting older, with not enough births or young people coming through to offset the increasing ranks of the middle-aged and old-aged.Moreover, according to the United Nations' latest World Populations Prospects study which came out earlier this year, the global population is likely to...

Insurer beats consensus againUK general insurance strongCommitted to returning capitalMaybe it is a measure of just how much chief executive Amanda Blanc has achieved since taking the helm at insurance giant Aviva (AV.) that its 'excellent' first-half results were greeted with a yawn rather than fireworks.The shares, which have gained 27% in the past year compared with a 10% rise in the FTSE...

Aviva (AV.) 464pMarket cap: £12.9 billionThere's a gambit insurance salespeople use which goes something like: if you had a machine in the shed which printed £70,000 a year of genuine £20 notes, how much would you insure it for? The customer usually gives a high figure, say in the region of £500,000.The salesperson then counters, so shouldn't you insure your homes' chief breadwinner for...

Activist Cevian builds 5% stakeSees significant long term valueShares jump 7%Medical products maker Smith & Nephew (SN.) topped the FTSE leader board with the shares jumping 7% to £10.5 after activist investor Cevian Capital disclosed a 5% stake, making it the second largest shareholder in the group.The shares are down around 13% over the last 12-months compared with a 7% gain in the FTSE 100...

Aviva director buys £484,000 sharesBalfour Beatty CEO buys £129,696 sharesCakebox CEO Sukh Chamdal ups stakeT Neil Morrison, non-executive director at life insurer Aviva (AV.) has bought 100,000 shares at 484p for a total value of £484,000 on 25 June.Over the past year Aviva shares have gained 23%.Morrison's move comes after the life insurer reported a strong set of results for the first...

UK stocks look cheap on so many different valuation metrics, not just one or two, suggesting a robust, genuine investment opportunity is available to long-term investors. So why does nobody seem convinced?This article explores the scepticism surrounding the UK?s market?s attractive valuation and examines the underlying evidence to support it. Shares concludes UK stocks really are a compelling...