Aviva, the FTSE 100 insurer, grew general insurance premiums by 19% to £11.8 billion in the first nine months of the year, helped by its takeover of Direct Line.
The group said it was confident about the rest of 2026 and expects operating earnings per share to grow broadly in line with its 11% target.
UK premiums jumped 28% to £8 billion, with personal lines up 57% thanks to Direct Line and a home insurance partnership with Nationwide.
Commercial lines fell 5% as Aviva turned away business in a softer market to protect profitability.
The group's combined operating ratio, which measures claims and costs as a share of premiums, improved to 93.8% from 94.4%; a figure below 100% means an underwriting profit.
Canada was the weak spot, with third-quarter storms pushing its ratio up to 95.9%.
Wealth net flows rose 31% to £10.9 billion, and assets under management grew 19% to £267 billion.
The wealth arm now has 6.1 million customers, and Aviva repeated its aim of at least £280 million in operating profit from the business by 2027.
Retirement sales fell 34% to £3.5 billion as bulk purchase annuity deals, where companies hand their pension schemes to insurers, halved to £1.9 billion amid fierce competition.
Aviva said bulk annuity volumes for the year so far, including deals where it is preferred provider, had reached £5.8 billion, ahead of the £4.6 billion it wrote in the whole of 2025.
Health insurance sales dropped 31% as growth in that market slowed.
The Solvency II cover ratio, a key measure of capital strength, rose to 179% from 176% at the half year.
Aviva expects the ratio to reach the high-180s by the end of the year, once it books the remaining capital savings from the Direct Line deal.
"Aviva is in great shape," said Amanda Blanc, chief executive.
