INVESTMENT BY INSURANCE COMPANIES, PENSION FUNDS AND TRUSTS.

(From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases))

] NATIONAL STATISTICS iipt0306 28 March 2006 INVESTMENT BY INSURANCE COMPANIES, PENSION FUNDS AND TRUSTS 4TH QUARTER 2005

Total net investment by these institutions was GBP27.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2005, GBP17.1 billion higher than the figure for the third quarter. There were increases in net investment in short term assets, British government sterling securities, UK company securities and overseas securities.

Net investment in British government sterling securities and overseas securities rose by GBP4.9 billion and GBP8.4 billion respectively, whilst net investment in short-term assets and UK company securities of GBP2.8 billion and GBP0.8 billion in the fourth quarter compared to net disinvestment of GBP0.4 billion and GBP1.1 billion in the third quarter. These increases in net investment were partly offset by a fall of GBP1.2 billion in other assets.

Total net investment by institutional group

In the fourth quarter of 2005 long-term insurance funds reported net investment of GBP12.1 billion, GBP10.5 billion higher than the figure for quarter three. General insurance funds showed a net investment of GBP0.2 billion compared to net investment of GBP2.4 billion in the previous quarter, while net investment by self-administered pension funds rose by GBP2.3 billion to GBP7.4 billion. Investment trusts reported net disinvestment of GBP0.1 billion in the fourth quarter compared to a net disinvestment of GBP0.4 billion in the third quarter, while net investment by unit trusts and property unit trusts increased by GBP4.7 billion from GBP6.2 billion in the third quarter to show a …