Aviva

THE BIG QUESTION

The manager of Aviva's £1.6bn Corporate Bond fund has been reducing risk in the portfolio in the view bond markets will be affected by ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty.

RSA's bid for part of Aviva's general insurance business could still happen but only if the offer is raised by around 10%, according to shareholder Ignis.

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.