Insurance companies made net sales of foreign bonds for SEK 23 billion during the fourth quarter of 2011. However, insurance companies made net purchases of Swedish bonds for roughly SEK 42 billion.
This was a contributing reason to the increase of SEK 20 billion of total holdings of bonds, which amounted to SEK 1 205 billion during the fourth quarter. Insurance companies' holdings in shares and funds amounted to SEK 1 383 billion, an increase of SEK 42 billion compared to the third quarter.
Life insurance companies’ holdings in shares and funds amounted to SEK 1 222 billion at the end of the quarter, an increase of SEK 29 billion compared to the third quarter. During the fourth quarter life insurance companies made net sales of Swedish shares for SEK 15 billion, but holdings of Swedish shares still increased by close to SEK 5 billion.
Non-life insurance companies' holdings in shares and funds amounted to SEK 161 billion at the end of the fourth quarter. This is an increase of SEK 13 billion. Net purchases of shares and funds by non-life insurance companies for SEK 7 billion were a contributing factor to the increase.
Insurance companies' investment assets increase
Total investment assets of insurance companies amounted to SEK 2 943 billion at the end of the fourth quarter. This is an increase of SEK 38 billion compared to the third quarter and a decrease of SEK 13 billion compared to the corresponding quarter of 2010.
Total investment assets of life insurance companies amounted to SEK 2 447 billion at the end of the quarter. This means an increase of nearly SEK 39 billion compared to the previous quarter, but a decrease of SEK 12 billion compared to the fourth quarter of 2010.
Investment assets of non-life insurance companies were largely unchanged compared to the previous quarter, SEK 497 billion in total. However, this figure is nearly SEK 1 billion less compared to the fourth quarter of 2010.