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AVIVA PLC (AV.)
Voting and Company Information
Aviva plc Company Information and Vote Guidance 2025
Post Date: April 24, 2025
AGM: 30th April 2025
Proxy deadline: 28th April 2025
ShareSoc provide this added value voting information service for Full Members only, providing background information on leading companies and AGM vote guidance.
Below are links to the:
1. Stockopedia summary report.
2. Minerva Vote recommendations for the 30th April AGM based on their standard template.
3. Minerva detailed research report for the AGM.
Summary of voting issues at this year’s AGM
The Minerva report highlights various issues and recommends voting against five of the resolutions.
Readers should make their own voting ...
AV : AVIVA – Company Information and Vote Guidance
Post Date: April 30, 2021
by Cliff Weight, Director ShareSoc. These are my personal views and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. I own shares in Aviva. My history of owning shares is interesting. When I became a director of ShareSoc in 2016, I started attending the Aviva AGM, mainly to ask a question of the Chairman about the pay of the Aviva directors and senior executives and whether, as leading asset owners and fund managers, they were setting a good example for other companies. Aviva AGMs ...
Blog posts
Aviva AGM – Companies should engage positively with shareholders!
Post Date: April 8, 2026
Don’t hide in York! Don’t use hybrid AGMs to hide from difficult questions. The announcement that Aviva plc will hold its 2026 Annual General Meeting at its regional office in York (Wellington Row) on 6 May is, on the surface, framed as an act...
Aviva’s Preference Share Offer: A Reasonable Offer, But Could It Be Better?
Post Date: March 29, 2025
Introduction: A Second Bite at the Cherry
On March 11, 2025, Aviva PLC announced a tender offer and a proposed cancellation of its 8.375% and 8.75% Cumulative Irredeemable Preference Shares. This follows a similar, and highly controversial, attempt in 2018, which was ultimately withdrawn after significant investor backlash. While this new offer is structured differently, and is undoubtedly an improvement on the 2018 proposal, it still raises important questions for individual investors, particularly those who rely on these shares for income.
ShareSoc has ...
Daily Mail, 2 May 2021, Aviva Investor Revolt
Post Date: May 2, 2021
The Daily Mail quoted ShareSoc Director Cliff Weight in its 2 May Aviva article https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-9535371/Aviva-faces-investor-revolt-preference-shares-scandal.html
Aviva faces an investor revolt this week after angering shareholders by deciding not to claw back fees from directors who oversaw a preference shares scandal.
The insurer was rocked in 2018 when it said it was considering buying back shares marketed as 'irredeemable' for less than they were trading at.
It reneged on the announcement days later, by which time the shares had tumbled.
It was forced to compensate investors. ...
AV : AVIVA – Company Information and Vote Guidance
Post Date: April 30, 2021
by Cliff Weight, Director ShareSoc. These are my personal views and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. I own shares in Aviva. My history of owning shares is interesting. When I became a director of ShareSoc in 2016, I started attending the Aviva AGM, mainly to ask a question of the Chairman about the pay of the Aviva directors and senior executives and whether, as leading asset owners and fund managers, they were setting a good example for other companies. Aviva AGMs ...
AGM – scope for change
Post Date: June 11, 2020
There is an excellent FT article on AGMs https://www.ft.com/content/1209fa2f-30a9-4a16-bcee-65743814acc2 (11 June 2020) which quotes me in some detail:
Cliff Weight, from the individual shareholders group ShareSoc, says he is concerned that some companies see AGMs as a “waste of time and unnecessary, apart from the formalities” required by law. He fears some will use the disruption caused by the pandemic to rubber stamp bad practices, such as by making it harder for investors to question the board.
ShareSoc believes a move towards live AGM ...
Aviva Preference Shares – FCA Announcement
Post Date: March 28, 2018
Readers who take any notice of financial affairs will be aware of the furore over the threat by Aviva to redeem their preference shares by a “share cancellation” process – they claimed that is a different legal process, even though the shares were described as “irredeemable”. The shares concerned dropped in price to a significant extent because their high coupon interest rate meant they were trading at a premium when cancellation would have meant redemption at the original par value. Aviva ...
Aviva Preference Shares: Write to your MP!
Post Date: March 21, 2018
Please write to your MP requesting that a Parliamentary Select Committee investigate Aviva’s action. The Financial Times published a joint letter from Peter Parry of UKSA and Cliff Weight of ShareSoc, highlighting our concerns.
The suggested wording of a letter/email to your MP is as follows
"Dear xxxx,
A Parliamentary Select Committee should investigate Aviva’s actions which have sullied the reputation of the London Stock Exchange and may cause financial losses running into billions for many individuals. The issues are highlighted in a joint ...
A tale of three AGMs
Post Date: May 17, 2017
by Cliff Weight
Last week I went to 3 AGMs. Aviva on Wednesday, 10 May in London and then Lloyds in the morning of the 11th and RBS in the afternoon, both in Edinburgh.
Aviva was very well attended with about 600 people in the Queen Elizabeth Centre. There were plenty of displays of the Aviva products, lots of staff to explain them and deal with any customer issues or complaints. There were also stands explaining the business (noticeable by its absence was ...
No More Dividend Cheques From Aviva
Post Date: November 23, 2016
It has been brought to my attention that insurance company Aviva (AV.) are to stop paying dividends via cheque. Unless shareholders supply bank account information and accept direct payments into them, they will not get paid their dividends in future. This particularly affects those shareholders who hold their shares in certificated form or as personal crest members where payment by cheque is the default method.
Another company that introduced this rule a year or two back was Vodafone, despite the objections of ...
AGM Reports
Aviva AGM Report (AV.) 2017
Post Date: May 17, 2017
Aviva was very well attended with about 600 people in the Queen Elizabeth Centre. There were plenty of displays of the Aviva products, lots of staff to explain them and deal with any customer issues or complaints. There were also stands explaining the business (noticeable by its absence was Aviva Investors) and how Aviva contributes to the community. For those arriving early, and many did, there was plenty to see and do and to mingle with fellow shareholders and directors who ...
AVIVA (AV.) AGM Report 2016
Post Date: May 10, 2016
I attended the AGM on 4 May 2016, which was held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, at 11am.
There were 400+ people present at the AGM. This was a very well organised AGM with stands where members of staff were explaining the various different parts and products/services of the Aviva business. Before and after meeting the directors mingled with the shareholders. I arrived early and was pleasantly surprised to find myself chatting to Euan Munro, the chief executive officer of Aviva ...
Aviva plc (AV.) AGM Report 2012
Post Date: May 8, 2012
The Aviva Annual General Meeting has produced a substantial and deserved reaction all over the media and the financial world. It was my pleasure to attend and to speak. l was also invited to a TV interview “before and after” the meeting by one of the commercial channels. This was cancelled at a late stage. It is my belief that AVIVA, correctly expecting a hostile reaction, and being a big advertiser, used their muscle to stop it. It was also noticeable ...
Leaders and Laggards
Aviva AGM – Companies should engage positively with shareholders!
Post Date: April 8, 2026
Don’t hide in York! Don’t use hybrid AGMs to hide from difficult questions. The announcement that Aviva plc will hold its 2026 Annual General Meeting at its regional office in York (Wellington Row) on 6 May is, on the surface, framed as an act...
ShareSoc News
Aviva plc Company Information and Vote Guidance 2025
Post Date: April 24, 2025
AGM: 30th April 2025
Proxy deadline: 28th April 2025
ShareSoc provide this added value voting information service for Full Members only, providing background information on leading companies and AGM vote guidance.
Below are links to the:
1. Stockopedia summary report.
2. Minerva Vote recommendations for the 30th April AGM based on their standard template.
3. Minerva detailed research report for the AGM.
Summary of voting issues at this year’s AGM
The Minerva report highlights various issues and recommends voting against five of the resolutions.
Readers should make their own voting ...
How to ask Questions at AGMs
Post Date: May 19, 2022
The furore caused by a few grumpy old misogynistic men asking questions at the Aviva AGM is huge. It casts a terrible image and is totally unrepresentative of the vast majority of individual investors who are professional and courteous. ShareSoc totally disapproves of the appalling conduct of certain shareholders at the Aviva AGM. See https://www.ft.com/content/01b723f1-1a7b-4096-86be-95148eb8aca0 (subscription required)
and https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-10806369/Aviva-boss-hit-misogyny-City-sexism-storm-AGM.html
Amanda Blanc said: 'After 30-plus years in financial services, I am pretty used to sexist and derogatory comments.
'Sadly, just like many other women in ...
Policy and Campaigns – Progress Update to 12 October 2021
Post Date: October 14, 2021
Since June 14 (see https://www.sharesoc.org/sharesoc-news/policy-and-campaigns-progress-update-14-june-2021/ for previous update), ShareSoc's Policy and Campaigns' team have worked on:
Woodford Campaign: Leigh Day have submitted their claim. They now have 11,000 claimants and another 3,000 registered, but yet to sign their Leigh Day agreement. We held a very successful webinar on 30 Sept with 942 registrants.
ShareSoc’s Woodford Campaign now has over 1,500 members, which enables us to lobby strongly for regulatory change and to hold to account those who have done wrong.
...
Policy and Campaigns – Progress Update to 30 April 2021
Post Date: May 3, 2021
In April 2021, we worked on:
Woodford Campaign: Leigh Day are the only claim with insurance and funding in place. Harcus Parker have funding but do not have ATE insurance. RGL have neither insurance nor funding (other than funding for an initial step). Leigh Day (whose claim ShareSoc have endorsed) now have c 10,000 claimants registered and are the leading claim.
Sirius Minerals Shareholder Group, Sirius Claim Group: A 20 page review of the evidence was finalised in April ...
Press Release 115: ShareSoc Sends Open Letter to Aviva
Post Date: January 13, 2021
Press release 115 - ShareSoc Sends Open Letter to Aviva
ShareSoc is
concerned about the remuneration review which was announced after the FCA censured Aviva, and
is urging Aviva
to claw back bonuses paid in 2018 and
ensure cultural change at Aviva occurs.
ShareSoc has warned Aviva in an Open Letter (see copy here) that a trivial remuneration adjustment would not be acceptable.
Media contact:
Cliff Weight, ShareSoc Director.
ShareSoc, the UK Individual Shareholders Society
ShareSoc is the UK's largest retail shareholder organisation acting in all areas of ...
UKSA / ShareSoc policy papers, submissions and campaigns
Post Date: October 31, 2018
Since we began merger discussions, UKSA and ShareSoc have worked together on policy and campaigning issues. Below is a list of issues where we have made a significant input. This shows the wide number of areas where we have been active since 1st January 2017 (Updated 25th October 2018).
Date
Document
Recipient
Drafted by
Notes
December 2018 (Started Dec 2016)
RBS Shareholder committee campaign
RBS/Media
ShareSoc (CW)
Supported by UKSA
November 2018
Procurement of Audit services
(Kingman Part II)
Sir John Kingman
PP with CW
Joint submission from UKSA and SS
October 2018
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) consultation ...
Corporate Remuneration Reports
Aviva AGM Remuneration Issues
Post Date: May 9, 2018
AGMs are very useful. They enable investors to monitor what management is doing. I recommend Shareholders attend AGMs and give notice beforehand of questions they plan to ask. A politely asked question, when given advance notice will usually produce a much better response, in my experience, than an aggressive one shouted from the floor. If the company knows you will be there they usually do their best to answer your question. And you can always follow up afterwards or before the ...
AVIVA Remuneration Report 2016
Post Date: April 27, 2016
I recommend Members vote against the AVIVA remuneration resolution.
I intend to attend the AVIVA AGM and raise these issues.
In the absence of clear evidence to the contrary (and noting that the bonus plan payout has averaged 78% of the maximum over the past seven years, the percentage vesting of LTIPs has averaged 68% over the past seven years and as their chart on page 113 so clearly shows AVIVA have performed no better than the median over the past seven years), ...
Media Mentions
Daily Mail, 2 May 2021, Aviva Investor Revolt
Post Date: May 2, 2021
The Daily Mail quoted ShareSoc Director Cliff Weight in its 2 May Aviva article https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-9535371/Aviva-faces-investor-revolt-preference-shares-scandal.html
Aviva faces an investor revolt this week after angering shareholders by deciding not to claw back fees from directors who oversaw a preference shares scandal.
The insurer was rocked in 2018 when it said it was considering buying back shares marketed as 'irredeemable' for less than they were trading at.
It reneged on the announcement days later, by which time the shares had tumbled.
It was forced to compensate investors. ...
FT Adviser, 14 Jan 2021, Aviva Pressed to Recall Bonuses After Share Buyback Debacle
Post Date: January 14, 2021
From FT Adviser: https://www.ftadviser.com/investments/2021/01/14/aviva-pressed-to-recall-bonuses-after-share-buyback-debacle/
Investor group ShareSoc has called on Aviva to claw back bonuses paid in 2018 after the provider was censured for 'potentially misleading' the market in its share buyback saga.
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