SWEDEN - Swedish life insurance companies delivered an average return of 12% on investments in 2009, compared with a 7.2% loss in 2008.

Swedbank Försäkring generated the highest overall return of 20.8% 2009 - a siginificant rise against -10.6 % 2008). The lowest return was for Länsförsäkringar Liv, as it has reported a 2.3% return against 0.3% last year.

According to Gustav Karner, CFO at Länsförsäkringar Liv, the company had been very restrictive in its investments over the last two years, and this gave the firm a relatively good return in 2008 but punished the company last year when stock markets rose.

That said, he is still satisfied with an average return of 1.7% over last two years.

The overall 2009 reported returns for Swedish life insurance companies and pension funds so far are:. (Figures in brackets are for 2008)

2009 Swedish life insurance company returns
Company20092008
Swedbank Försäkring 20.8% -10.6
Änke- och Puppillkassan 17% -8.9%
Skandia Liv 16.4% -13.4%
SHF 16% -4.3%
SEB Trygg Liv Gamla 15.2% -15.8%
Alecta 12.8% -7.4%
KPA Pension 12.4% 6.3%
AI Pension 11.1% -5.7%
Folksam 10.3% 0.9%
SPP 9.6% -5.9%
SPK 8.4% 5.7%
Nordea Life & Pensions 6.4% -1.6%
Länsförsäkringar 2.3% -0.3%

This story was first published by Pensionsnyheterna, a Swedish-language specialist news service, and translated in agreement with IPE.com.