London, Feb 11, 2026, 09:30 GMT — Regular session
- Aviva shares slipped roughly 0.4% in early London trading, following a nearly 3% drop the previous day.
- New concerns are emerging among insurers about how AI tools might change the way customers shop for insurance coverage.
- Investors will be eyeing Aviva’s full-year results set for March 5.
Aviva shares slipped roughly 0.4% to 622.6 pence in early London trading on Wednesday. The insurer heads into its March results following a volatile couple of sessions for the sector. Full-year figures are due on March 5, along with an investor and analyst update later that morning. (Aviva)
European insurer shares have taken a hit amid worries that new AI tools might disrupt their distribution networks. Reuters reported Tuesday that investors were spooked after Insurify launched an AI-driven comparison tool powered by ChatGPT. That move sent major U.S. brokers tumbling 9% to 12% the previous day. The STOXX 600 insurance index in Europe slipped 1.3%, while stocks like Aviva, Admiral, and AXA dipped between 1.6% and 3%. Dan Coatsworth, AJ Bell’s head of markets, described the selloff as “knee-jerk reactions,” blaming investor panic ahead of full information, especially hitting UK price-comparison firms hard. (Reuters)
Aviva ended Tuesday down 2.95% at 625 pence, underperforming as London stocks struggled, MarketWatch reports. Trading volume hit 8.8 million shares, well above the 50-day average of 5.7 million. The stock closed roughly 11% below its 52-week peak of £7.01, reached on Jan. 6. (MarketWatch)
On Wednesday, the company highlighted activity in its pensions arm, noting that over 100 pension schemes have tapped into its Aviva Clarity service. This service streamlines smaller bulk purchase annuity deals. Bulk purchase annuities involve an insurer taking on a pension scheme’s liabilities; a “buy-in” is usually the policy stage retained by the scheme, while a “buy-out” transfers members to the insurer’s books. Aviva reported that 20 of these schemes have already completed buy-outs and is introducing a “fast-track” option for 2026. “Trustees want certainty, simplicity and speed,” said Andrew Shaposhnikov, a senior BPA deal manager at Aviva. (Aviva)
Pension risk-transfer volumes are key for UK life insurers since they bring in long-term assets and steady fee income. Yet, this week’s share-price moves have been fueled more by sentiment than by any new deal announcements. Traders now face the question: is the AI scare just a brief hiccup lasting a day or two, or the beginning of a deeper shift in how insurers attract and retain customers?
Pressure points vary even inside the insurance sector. Brokers and price-comparison sites are directly hit by changes in how consumers search, while insurers grapple with both sides of the coin: cheaper customer acquisition but also fiercer price competition.
The AI concern could quickly lose steam if investors see these new tools as merely a fresh interface over existing underwriting and claims systems. Should adoption pick up, the downside risk involves fiercer price competition and thinner margins, especially for companies dependent on third-party distribution.
Insurers remain vulnerable to familiar risks beyond AI: fluctuations in claims costs, weather-driven losses, and shifts in bond yields that impact investment returns and the valuation of long-term liabilities. These factors don’t always surface clearly in daily trading—until suddenly, they do.
Aviva’s next major trigger is its full-year results on March 5. Investors will be watching closely for signals on pension demand, pricing discipline in general insurance, and how quickly customer acquisition trends are shifting.
