Both companies in the face of global adversity appear to have enhanced their respective business's for the benefit of shareholders, so let's hope they have done just as well for their long suffering "with profit" policyholders, when the time comes to allocate bonuses.
Of course, many Standard Life policyholders are also shareholders, following the Company's demutualisation a few years ago, so it could be said they already benefit from increasing share dividends, but at the end of the day good solid fund performance is what endowment policyholders really want, and need.