Major shareholders back Aviva £5.6bn Friends Life bid

The fund manager, whose firm is Friends Life's eighth largest shareholder, spoke out for the first time since the deal was announced on 21 November. Buxton (pictured) told The Telegraph: "This is a case of two plus two equals a lot more than four." The combined company, which will be called Aviva, will serve 16 million customer - a quarter of UK households. Jupiter Asset Management senior fund manager Alastair Gunn, also a Friends Life investor, has been upping his stake in the firm in recent weeks and also plans to give his approval. He said the deal would give "exposure to a s...