L&G 9-month sales dip

L&G, Britain's sixth-biggest insurer by market value, had sales of 1,058 million pounds in the nine months to September 30, down from 1,137 million pounds in the same period last year, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Analysts had expected sales of 1,060 million pounds, according to the average of 11 estimates collected by the company.

L&G shares were flat at 77.1 pence by 8:47 a.m., while the FTSE 100 share index was 1.3 percent lower.

"I don't think the market will be too disappointed with the numbers. It all seems to be going in the right direction," said ING analyst Kevin Ryan.

Insurers, heavily geared to financial markets through their investment portfolios, have benefited from a rebound in stock and bond markets since March.

But the sector continues to face weak sales as recessionary pressures force consumers to defer purchases or let existing policies lapse.

"Confidence is slowly returning to the economy. We see modest recovery in the UK going forward," L&G Chief Executive Tim Breedon said in a statement.

Breedon told reporters on a conference call that L&G, whose shares rose 25 percent in a single week last month on takeover speculation, was sceptical of the benefits of insurance industry consolidation.

He also reiterated that the group had no plans "whatsoever" to sell fund management division L&G Investment Management