London, Jan 24, 2026, 08:30 GMT — Market closed
Aviva’s London-listed shares (AV.L) ended Friday down 5.17%, closing at 619.40 pence after opening at 652.40p and slipping to the low of the session. Trading volume climbed to 18.4 million shares. The stock remains far from its 52-week peak of 700.60p, data from London South East shows. 1
The selloff came as UK stocks finished the week a touch lower, investors shaken by geopolitical concerns and shifting toward safer sectors. The FTSE 100 fell 0.07% on Friday, breaking a three-week run of gains, Reuters reported. 2
Aviva didn’t release any new regulatory announcements on Friday, according to the London South East RNS feed. That leaves investors to interpret Wednesday’s price action mainly through positioning and the overall market risk sentiment ahead of Monday’s open. The most recent RNS headline remains a director/PDMR shareholding notice from Jan. 16. 3
Aviva rolled out updates this week to its health services linked to individual protection policies. The insurer’s DigiCare+ app now provides unlimited 24/7 digital GP appointments for policyholders and their families, up from the previous cap of three per year. It also increased allowances for mental health, bereavement, and nutrition support, while introducing a personal training option. Fran Bruce, managing director of protection at Aviva, described the upgrades as delivering “accessible, round-the-clock healthcare and wellbeing services.” 4
Aviva’s asset management division has bolstered its UK wealth team with new hires. Aviva Investors named Eoin Rooney as director of digital channels and Serena Burton as strategic partners director, both transferring from Vanguard, Funds Europe reports. Smera Ashraf, head of EMEA wealth, highlighted that these recruits add “experience and expertise from within the UK retail space.” 5
Aviva Capital Partners has teamed up with Southampton City Council and the University of Southampton to redevelop the 4.6-acre site of the former Toys “R” Us near Southampton Central station. The plot has been empty since 2018. The partners are weighing temporary uses initially or a potential demolition in 2026 as they move forward. 6
For equity investors, a bigger risk lies in the capital and integration efforts around Direct Line. On Jan. 5, Aviva announced that the Prudential Regulation Authority had approved withdrawing Direct Line’s Solvency II partial internal model for two UK subsidiaries. After Dec. 31, 2025, capital requirements for those units can be calculated using the standard formula. Aviva said this shift could boost its full-year 2025 group shareholder solvency ratio by roughly 2 percentage points — a key gauge of an insurer’s capital buffer relative to Solvency II regulatory demands. 7
But those capital gains aren’t guaranteed. Aviva has warned that shifting Direct Line’s business onto its internal model still needs PRA approval. The group aims for over £0.5 billion in total capital synergies by around the end of 2026 — though delays are possible if regulators, markets, or underwriting results take a downturn. 8
As the London market rests for the weekend, all eyes will be on whether Friday’s decline sparks further selling once trading kicks back in, or if buyers step in near the 620p level. Given the lack of fresh company announcements, any broker update, sector insight, or new filing could swiftly trigger the next move.
Aviva’s 2025 full-year results will land on March 5. Investors will be keenly watching for fresh details on capital, solvency, and updates regarding the Direct Line integration. 9
