TOKYO, Oct 30 Reuters Japan39;s major life insurers are expected to continue purchasing Japanese government bonds JGBs into the second half of the fiscal year, but the pace and extent of these purchases will vary as firms strive to balance risk and return.

Life insurance companies, some of the country39;s largest institutional investors, have long relied on superlong JGBs as the backbone of their asset management. The strategy appears unlikely to change in the six months through March.

Nippon Life Insurance NPNLI.UL and Daiichi Life Insurance were among a majority of life insurers planning to increase or continue to buy JGBs at a steady pace, although demand was somewhat more prominent among midtier firms.

This trend follows an uptick in JGB yields, which have become increasingly attractive to life insurers as the Bank of Japan BOJ has begun normalising its ultraeasy monetary policy this year.

The firms unveiled their investment strategy updates for the fiscal year ending in March 2025 in interviews and news conferences over the past two weeks.

The yield on the 30year government bond , a mainstay of many life insurers39; investment strategies, was at 2.2 at the time the companies spoke to Reuters, above major life insurers39; average liability cost level of 1.8.

Nippon Life, the country39;s largest private insurer, has said it will focus on the superlong government bonds while selling off loweryielding bonds.

But companies indicated that they will buy more…