Japan's nine major life insurers are looking healthier thanks to stock-related gains made from the 47 percent jump in Tokyo stock prices during fiscal 2003, according to earnings reports released as of Friday.
In the year ended March 31, all nine insurers saw an increase in their solvency margin ratios, which are used to gauge an insurer's financial standing. Industry leader Nippon Life Insurance Co.'s solvency margin ratio was 893.8 percent as of March 31, compared with 630.6 percent a year earlier.
All nine were above the 200 percent threshold for the statistic. The government requires any insurer falling below that number to take prompt corrective measures.