London, Feb 12, 2026, 09:26 GMT — Regular session
- Aviva shares ticked higher in early London trade after two sessions of declines
- Aviva Investors said it will work with Ripple on tokenised fund structures using the XRP Ledger
- Aviva also flagged a faster route for smaller pension schemes to move to buy-out
Aviva (AV.L) shares rose 0.2% to 622.4 pence by 0917 GMT on Thursday, with the stock moving in a 620.6p to 629.6p range. (Investing.com UK)
The move was modest, but it broke a short losing run. Aviva fell 2.95% on Feb. 10 and slipped another 0.61% on Feb. 11, leaving the shares searching for a firmer footing into the back half of February. (Investing)
That wobble came as the wider insurance sector caught a chill from artificial intelligence headlines. European insurers fell on Tuesday after a sharp drop in U.S. insurance brokers, and Aviva was among the names down on the day; Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, called it “knee-jerk reactions.” (Reuters)
Macro noise isn’t helping either. Britain’s economy grew 0.1% in the fourth quarter, below a Reuters poll forecast for 0.2%, and business investment fell by almost 3%, official data showed; Luke Bartholomew, deputy chief economist at Aberdeen, said “sentiment turned a corner” after last year’s budget, but warned the bounce could reverse. (Reuters)
Against that backdrop, Aviva Investors on Wednesday set out a partnership with Ripple aimed at tokenising traditional fund structures on the XRP Ledger — putting fund units onto blockchain rails — as it looks to add tokenised solutions to existing products. Jill Barber, Aviva Investors’ chief distribution officer, pointed to “time and cost efficiency,” while Ripple’s Nigel Khakoo said tokenisation was “moving from experimentation” toward “large-scale production.” (Aviva Investors)
Aviva also flagged activity in pensions risk transfer, where insurers take on pension liabilities in return for an upfront premium. The group said more than 100 pension schemes have transacted through its Aviva Clarity service since launch in 2024, with 20 already reaching buy-out; it also rolled out a “fast-track” route for 2026 and said four schemes have completed buy-outs using it. Senior BPA deal manager Andrew Shaposhnikov said trustees wanted “certainty, simplicity and speed,” while trustee Nick Boyes said the process was “far quicker” than expected. (Aviva)
Investors don’t have long to wait for the next hard readout. Aviva said it will announce full-year 2025 results on March 5 at 0700 GMT and host an investor and analyst update at 0830 GMT. (Aviva)
In the wider tape, London stocks have been pushing records even as parts of the financial sector get hit by AI chatter. The FTSE 100 closed at a record high on Wednesday as housebuilders and energy stocks rose, while concerns about AI disruption weighed on some wealth managers. (Reuters)
Still, there’s a clear downside case. Tokenised funds remain early-stage and could stay small for a while, especially if clients balk or regulation tightens. In pensions, buy-out volumes can swing with pricing, funding levels and how hard insurers compete for deals.
Rate expectations are the other fault line. A strong U.S. jobs report has already pushed yields higher and cut bets on a near-term Federal Reserve move, and traders are now locked on coming U.S. inflation data for the next steer on rates. (Reuters)
For Aviva, the next specific catalyst is March 5. The market will want to hear whether capital strength and payout plans still look steady — and whether the week’s AI jitters fade into the background or keep hanging over the sector.
