A Japanese accounting group is seeking to ease rules on how life insurers book paper losses on government bonds, a move that would provide a relief for the major holders of the nation’s debt.
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Under the proposal, bonds held by life insurers to match long-term policies would be treated as held to maturity if certain conditions are met, and would not be subject to impairment accounting. The Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants is seeking public comments on the proposal, which was posted on its website on Tuesday.
Shares of insurers led gains on Wednesday in Tokyo. The Topix Insurance Index closed 2.9% higher, outpacing the benchmark Topix’s 1.2% advance.
If the rule is revised, it will be easier for life insurers to hold government bonds and other securities for long periods, even in times of rising interest rates. Under current rules, an insurer needs to record an impairment loss if the market value of an asset falls 50% below its book value and there is no prospect of recovery.
The country’s biggest insurers are sitting on swelling paper losses on their holdings of Japanese government bonds, which have slumped as the central bank raises interest rates and pares its purchases of the securities to deal with emerging inflation. Concerns about Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s fiscal policies have added pressure on JGBs, although the bonds have rallied recently on speculation that her landslide election win will reduce the risk of excessive spending.
Nippon Life Insurance Co., Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co., Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. and Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. had a combined ¥13.2 trillion ($86 billion) in unrealized losses on Japanese bonds at the end of 2025, Bloomberg-compiled data show.
The bulk of Japanese insurers’ yen bond holdings are held as so-called policy reserve-matching bonds. Of Dai-ichi Life’s ¥18.7 trillion in yen bond holdings as of Dec. 31, a total of ¥15.7 trillion were in that category.
The accounting change plan provides a tailwind for life insurance stocks, said Ikuo Mitsui, a fund manager at Aizawa Securities Co. If the rule change is implemented, “a factor that depresses short-term earnings would be eliminated, potentially leading to more stable dividends for shareholders,” Mitsui said.
Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Steven Lam said the move would provide a “significant relief” for insurers’ earnings and balance sheets. Insurers have already seen their profits come under pressure from realizing bond losses to pay out on policy surrenders or to capture higher returns after yields surged, he said.
Analysts also see positives for Japan’s bond market. The measure may make it easier for life insurers to buy bonds, according to Naoya Hasegawa, chief bond strategist at Okasan Securities Co.
Likewise, it eases fears that insurers would be forced to sell long-dated JGBs, said Masahiko Loo, a senior fixed-income strategist at State Street Investment Management. “While structural supply demand challenges remain, the guidance reduces accounting-driven selling pressure,” he said.
JICPA will solicit opinions from a wide range of people, including experts and market participants, over the next month. The timing of a final decision on the revision is yet to be set, a representative for the group said.
