Bond binge accelerates at eurozone insurers

Eurozone insurers’ appetite for debt securities expanded over the first three months of this year, with net purchases hitting €30.2 billion ($34 billion), up from €11.8 billion in Q4 2018 and €6.2 billion in the year-ago quarter.

The buying spree helped to swell insurers’ aggregate bond holdings to €3.4 trillion at end-March, up 3% on the quarter and on the year. Of the €106 billion quarterly increase, €76 billion was due to pricing and other changes and the remainder to net purchases.

Eurozo