Shares in Aviva closed little changed at 500p. They were supported by the separate disclosure that the insurance group plans to pay a final dividend for 2014 of 12.25p a share – 30 per cent higher than a year ago. Friends Life shares rallied 3.9 per cent to 380.51p. Under the terms unveiled on Tuesday, its shareholders will receive a full-year dividend of 31.15p a share – 10p more than they had been in line for – if the deal goes ahead. Andy Briggs, Friends Life’s group chief executive, will become chief executive of Aviva’s enlarged UK life business and join the Aviva board. He said he was “excited” by the tie-up, which “brings together complementary strengths”. Sir Malcolm Williamson, Friends Life’s chairman, will become senior independent director. Both sets of shareholders need to approve the deal, the biggest in UK insurance since the merger of CGU and Norwich Union in 2000, which created Aviva. The combined group will have 16m UK customers – equivalent to about one in four households – and £340bn of assets under management. Aviva was advised by Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Cazenove and Robey Warshaw while Friends Life was advised by Goldman Sachs, Barclays and RBC Capital Markets.
I appreciate there is short out there and usually is at some stage near the div, I am expecting the share to rise before the sell, I see no other reason for the short unless the yes no vote will pull it down. There might well be a few quid earned by selling and buying lower but the share always comes back so I am not worried and wish all those who sell and can buy lower good luck.
I first bought last year at 323, and soon after if turned south hitting about 290, I bought more on the rise at 308 and 310. I now have a substantial holding; the share grows in value and pays fair dividends, my opinion is the share will continue to grow so 600-700 in the future I would say is not impossible. What more could you want, growth and dividends all in one share, like all shares they go up and down but I don’t even bother to trade this one.
A senior MP has called for an investigation into the financial watchdog, accusing it of an "extraordinary blunder" in releasing market-sensitive information about an insurance industry inquiry which later sent the stock market plummeting. http://home.bt.com/news/uknews/call-for-fca-probe-after-blunder-11363888894353
when I bought AV. at 324 and picked up the dividend, then soon after the share turned south and from memory moved as low as 290 ish and was quite volatile from memory with its swings. Once the share moved to 300+ I bought at 308 and 310 and believed AV in time would continue to pay dividends and grow to 400+, the shares I bought in 2013 have grown in value and at one time to over 200 each and there is a good dividend coming up soon. However with insurance companies in the headlines along with banks is it time to sell, is the share price propped up because of the dividend in April. Will the same happen as happened last year when the share fell 30p or so after dividend day, I find it difficult to know whether to sell prior to the dividend or just hope for the best? I am more than happy with my buy last year; however, I would have preferred the share was back above 520.
I bought at 1.99 back in April May time just had that feeling I did mention this on the lloy bb at the time, but did wonder where DLG was going when it dropped from 234 back to 222. However it proved good and nice little div to go with it, all in all a good move as I bought more AV. and BT.a on the same day, AV.@310 and BT.a @275 so nice profit with all three div stocks. GL