Reuters
Aviva plans further capital return in boost to shares
LONDON (Reuters) -Aviva plans to return more cash to shareholders, the British insurer said as it posted a better-than-expected 14% rise in first-half operating profit, sending its shares to the top of the FTSE 100 gainers on Wednesday. Activist investor Cevian Capital, which holds 6% of Aviva’s shares and has called on it to boost payouts, declined comment after the insurer said it planned to launch a share buyback with its 2022 results and would decide on its size at year-end. Aviva, which has major businesses in Britain, Canada and Ireland, has already given 4.75 billion pounds ($5.73 billion)back to shareholders after raising 7.5 billion pounds in a string of disposals since Amanda Blanc became CEO in July 2020.