FTSE 100 news / Companies and sectors / Insurance / 1 October 2026
Insurance: sector news on Thursday 1 October 2026
Average tone +1.5 (slightly positive) across 6 companies with relevant coverage, from 27 stories.
Company by company
| Company | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviva | +6.3 | 9 | Coverage leaned positive, mainly on Aviva extending its AI underwriting tool to income protection and widening its Founders Factory tie-up. |
| Legal & General | −2.8 | 9 | Coverage was dominated by plans to cut around 10% of jobs, about 1,000 roles, under chief executive Antonio Simoes, and Citi sticking with a 'sell' rating as pension buyout margins shrink. |
| Beazley | +0.5 | 4 | Coverage centred on the Zurich takeover of Beazley, with the scheme of arrangement becoming effective and the shares being dropped from an index. |
| Admiral Group | +5.8 | 2 | Coverage focused on Admiral's GBP 45 million share buyback and the attention its interim dividend is drawing from income investors. |
| Standard Life | −1.3 | 2 | Coverage was split between a customer complaint about a lost annuity payment, which reflects badly on Standard Life, and a new offshore bond launched with AJ Bell, which is a positive product story. |
| Hiscox | +0.5 | 1 | The only relevant coverage was a pre-market share price note showing Hiscox up 0.05 percent, which is a negligible move. |
| Prudential | – | 0 |
Strongest stories in the sector
- +9.2 Aviva expands AI underwriting to income protection
Expands AI underwriting to income protection, product innovation - +9.2 Aviva rolls out AI underwriting tool for income protection
Rolls out AI underwriting tool for income protection - −9.2 I paid Standard Life £82,000 to set up an annuity... then it said it had never heard of me: CRANE ON THE CASE
Customer complaint about Standard Life losing annuity record; reputational damage. - +8.7 Aviva extends AI underwriting tool to IP
AI underwriting tool extended to income protection - +8.3 Aviva extends Founders Factory tie-up to launch fintech, health ventures
Extends partnership to launch fintech and health ventures - −8.3 Citi sticks with 'sell' on Legal & General as pension buyout margins shrink
Citi keeps sell rating as pension buyout margins shrink. - +8.0 AJ Bell teams up with Standard Life to launch offshore bond
Partnership with AJ Bell to launch an offshore bond; new product. - +6.3 Admiral launches GBP 45 million buyback for Admiral Group stock
Company launching GBP 45m buyback signals confidence and returns capital to shareholders. - +5.2 Why Is FTSE 100 Insurer Admiral (LSE:ADM) Drawing Income Attention After Its Interim Payout?
Interim payout draws income investor interest, mildly positive for reputation. - +5.0 Can Aviva (LSE:AV.) Turn Its Transformation Plan Into A Faster-Growing Dividend?
Questions whether transformation plan can lift dividend growth - −5.0 L&G to axe 1,000 jobs in shake up by boss Antonio Simoes amid deepening UK jobs gloom
1,000 job cuts under boss Simoes amid UK jobs gloom. - +5.0 Greenwich greenlights L&G’s plans to deliver six units in Thamesmead
Planning approval for L&G housing units in Thamesmead.