UK 22:24 Saturday, 3 October 2026
Breaking news and expert analysis on fast-moving AIM and LSE listed shares
Disclosure: I own shares in one or more of the stocks mentioned. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from ShareProphets). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Hello Share Helpers. Not long to go now before Santa calls. But I’m not sure it will as sumptuous a Yule celebration as normal in Stacey Towers. It’s not really been a good year and that applies to most of us, I fear.
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Comments
wildrides
My prediction is NEW will be a bagger in 2016 if Whining Froth can resist kicking chucks out of it purely on the basis of its ancient and past history .
Not sure about housing ……….. if interest rates go up in the UK it could tip the market into oversupply with repo,s
Alot of people just dont grasp the effect a 1% rise would have on their morgage payments
alcira16247
Malcolm
The excellent interims posted by Aviva in August seemed to have gone under the radar as the share price has hardly reflected the significant achievements made by the new team headed by Mark Wilson.
Just to recap the banner strap lines…….
Mark Wilson, Group Chief Executive Officer, said:
“After three years of turnaround we are now moving to a different phase of delivery. We have improved the balance sheet, simplified the Group and we are now transforming our business. The progress is evident in these results.
“The Friends Life integration is ahead of schedule and we have delivered £63 million of run-rate synergies after three months. This is encouraging but nowhere near complete. Amidst the integration, our UK Life business continued to grow, with value of new business up 31% excluding Friends Life.
“In general insurance, premiums1 and operating profits were higher. The combined ratio was 93.1%, the best in eight years, and underwriting profits increased 45%.
“The 15% increase in the dividend is a further step towards achieving our target payout ratio and underlines our confidence in our cash flow and the business.”
With a forward P/E 9.80 and currently yielding 4.76%, Aviva offers outstanding value and when added together the further efficiency and synergy gains to be made throughout the whole group, a generous and progressive dividend policy (forecasting double digit growth) plus the nett cash @ £9 billion, explains why the company is one of my core holdings.
Finally Malcolm, may I take this opportunity to wish You and Your family a very happy Christmas and a peaceful prosperous New Year.
I have greatly enjoyed reading your insightful and witty articles throughout the year and look forward to more of the same in 2016!
Malcolm Stacey
Thanks boys. Wilders – I’d forgotten about those interest rises. But on the other hand, they could be another year away.
Alcers, your kind words are much appreciated and I hope you have a stunning Christmas, too.
Aviva looks really good to me, too, as I noted recently in a piece of its own. That divi is the clincher.