Assets managed by insurers and pensions funds in the Netherlands increased to €2,112bn at the end of the third quarter of 2020, higher than before the coronavirus crisis.
According to De Nederlandsche Bank, this was mainly due to the recovery of stock exchange prices worldwide.
Insurers and pension funds invest a significant part of their assets in shares (24%) and bonds (37%), partly indirectly through participations in Dutch investment funds. The value of the equity portfolio increased by €55bn in Q2 (up 17%) and by €21bn in Q3 (up 5%). Bonds also increased in value by €30bn in Q2 and €22bn in Q3.
Shares worth €7.1bn were sold by insurers and pension funds in Q1 2020. These included special shares of financial institutions (€2.5bn) and oil and other industries (€1.2bn).
In Q2, insurers and pension funds bought shares worth €8.2bn, especially in sectors that suffered relatively little damage from the coronavirus crisis or where the crisis seemed to offer opportunities. For example, the pharmaceutical industry (€1.4bn), the computer and electronics industry (€1.3bn), ICT services (€2.4bn), and the wholesale and retail sectors (€1.5bn).
The full insurance corporations balance sheet can be accessed here.
