London, June 17, 2026, 15:15 BST
- Aviva shares traded at 641.00p to 641.20p, rising 0.38%. Volume was around 1.65 million shares, according to .
- Aviva now has FCA approval and plans to roll out targeted support this summer, first for pension customers.
- UK blue chips traded lower ahead of the Bank of England’s rate call set for Thursday.
Aviva shares traded slightly up in London on Wednesday, after the Financial Conduct Authority signed off on the insurer’s new customer-support service. The approval helped lift the stock, even as the broader UK market slipped.
The shares traded 0.38% higher at 641.00p/641.20p in the afternoon, AJ Bell data showed. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.14% earlier as investors looked at steady inflation figures ahead of the Bank of England’s rate call on Thursday.
Aviva’s approval lets it steer more pension and investment clients with targeted help, without offering full financial advice. Targeted support lets firms nudge groups of customers with similar profiles, instead of one-on-one advice.
Aviva plans to launch the service in phases from summer 2026, starting with pension customers. Michele Golunska, managing director of wealth at Aviva, said getting the approval was “an important milestone” and the model could help people “in a more practical way.” Aviva
Aviva is still building out its wealth business. The insurer said in its first-quarter update that wealth net flows came in at 3.3 billion pounds, a 49% rise, while assets under management in wealth hit 233 billion pounds, up 18%.
Aviva joins Royal London and Quilter, both of which also got approvals in April. Quilter CEO Steven Levin said targeted support may help drive changes for customers. This sets Aviva up in competition with other major UK savings and advice companies, not just insurance groups.
UK inflation stayed at 2.8% in May, missing expectations but not enough to push the Bank of England off its current path. Investors are waiting to see what the BoE does with rates. Nick Saunders, chief executive of Webull UK, said “good news for the economy’s resilience is bad news” if it makes a rate cut less likely. Reuters
Aviva started the year on the front foot after stronger earnings and more capital firepower. Operating profit is up 25% for 2025 to 2.2 billion pounds. The insurer brought back its 350 million pound share buyback and wrapped up the 3.7 billion pound Direct Line acquisition.
But even with the approval, execution risk lingers. Aviva still has to get consistent flows from new customer activity, finish integrating Direct Line, and deal with softer areas in the business. First-quarter health sales dropped 31%. Retirement sales fell to 1.1 billion pounds from 1.8 billion, as the market for bulk purchase annuities—insurance deals that assume pension-scheme liabilities—remained competitive.
Aviva is due to report first-half numbers on Aug. 14, which will give investors the next look at its business. For now, targeted-support approval offers the stock some minor regulatory help, though it doesn’t translate into a concrete earnings figure yet.
