FINANCIAL services company Friends Provident, the high-profile sponsor of Southamp-ton Football Club, saw sales of new policies surge by 70 per cent, buoyed by strong international business and sales of company pensions in the UK.
The firm, which employs about 1,000 people at its regional base in Salisbury, reported new sales of nearly £5.4 billion last year.
Sales of UK life products came in at £3.2 billion, UK pensions topped almost £1.6 billion, while international sales grew by about 31 per cent.
Friends' seven-figure sum deal with the Saints, which dates back to 1999, expires this summer.
The firm paid for the naming rights to the £32m stadium and for its name to be emblazoned on the players' shirts.
Friends was the top performer on the FTSE 100, jumping 3.5 per cent or 7p to 201p, after surpassing market expectations.
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