Aviva's Direct Line bet is paying off faster than the price tag suggested

Aviva's first-half operating profit hit £1.326 billion, up 24% on last year and comfortably ahead of the roughly £1.26 billion analysts expected. General insurance did the heavy lifting: operating profit there jumped from £648 million to £905 million, with gross written premiums up 29% to £8.1 billion, according to the company's results. That's the first clean read on whether the £3.7 billion Direct Line acquisition, completed in July, was worth the price, and so far the answer is yes. Aviva did trim its 2026 health division forecast to around £90 million, a reminder that not every unit is firing at once. Shares touched levels last seen in December 2007. Management says fuller Direct Line targets land in November, when the real scrutiny starts.