UK insurance company Aviva has given an upbeat view of prospects for 2004 after it saw demand for its products picking up in the final quarter of last year. The firm, which owns Norwich Union, has suffered in recent years from the slump in shares which put off investors and hit demand for pensions and insurance.
Aviva said 2003 sales were flat, though they did beat analysts' forecasts.
As markets rebounded, however, the lure of equities and their related investment products has increased.
Chief executive Richard Harvey said that: "The prospects for growth in 2004 are encouraging, with evidence that investors are regaining confidence as equity market recover".
New business sales for life and pensions in 2003 totalled �2.38bn ($4.3bn; 3.4bn euros), compared with �2.37bn a year earlier.
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