Aviva

Barclays shares are 3% lower in early trading despite posting profits of almost £4bn in the first half.

Aviva recorded a 21% jump in operating profit in the first half of the year, with the insurer declaring 6% dividend increase.

Aviva's Jeremy Charles has joined Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (Swip) as an investment director on the UK equities team.

Industry commentators say Aviva could set its sights on arch-rival Prudential, which is still recovering from its failed $20bn takeover of AIG's Asian business.

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Aviva Investors has hired Justin Craib-Cox from M&G as a fund manager for its convertible bond team.

Prudential's largest shareholder, the Capital Group, is eying a potential break-up of the insurer as a radical alternative to its $35.5bn AIA acquisition.

Investors seeking growth opportunities in the UK equity market are becoming increasingly frustrated by talk of a double-dip recession, rising political uncertainty and bearish expectations.

The FTSE 100 opened higher Tuesday, tracking strength overnight on Wall Street, as Legal & General (L&G) beat profit forecasts and lifted its final dividend payout by a third.

After 12 turbulent months for equity markets, top industry managers believe the worse is now behind them regarding dividend cuts