Aviva Share Price (AV) - Buy AV Shares

Aviva is one of the world's largest insurance providers. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100 share price index. The company was previously known as CGNU, and was the result of a merger between CGU plc and Norwich Union. Norwich Union was originally a mutual society, but became a plc and was first floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1997.

The company's strongest market is the UK market and it is currently the country's largest provider of life insurance whilst having a significant share of the market in car and home insurance. Aviva currently operates in over 50 countries around the world and was among a limited number of foreign providers to gain a licence to operate in Russia in 2006 as well as launching Aviva Korea in 2008. The Norwich Union brand itself is to be replaced in mid-2009 by the company name Aviva as part of a global streamlining and rationalisation plan. This change has been supported by a campaign using celebrities who have changed their name such as Ringo Star and Alice Cooper. The company also owns the RAC breakdown recovery service which was acquired in 2005. This company in turn owns a series of brands including RAC Auto Windscreens, RAC loans and BSM, the UK's leading driving school franchise. The company currently employs over 50,000 people around the world with around half of these being based in the UK.