An American insurer is also in the frame, The Times reported, citing City sources.
At least one of Allianz and Intact is said to be mulling a £6 per share proposal for Aviva, according to the report.
Shares in UK-headquartered Aviva jumped on the news, rising upwards of 10% on Friday from the market’s open. However, this dampened somewhat as analysts queried the veracity of market chatter.
Speculation also boosted other FTSE100 insurers, The Times reported, with Phoenix up 2.27%, Prudential up 2.85% and Legal & General gaining 4.11%.
Aviva, which reported rising operating profit of £715 million for the first half of 2023, has trimmed down its operations under Aviva CEO Amanda Blanc to focus on its UK, Ireland and Canada businesses.
