Asset/liability management
Within the scope of our asset/liability management (ALM) the allocation of investments by currencies and maturities is determined by the technical liabilities. The modified duration of our bond portfolio – at 4.5 years (4.2 years) – is geared largely to the average maturity of the technical liabilities. We thereby adjust the maturity pattern of the fixed-income securities to the expected payment patterns of our liabilities and reduce the economic exposure to the interest rate risk. In addition, through active and regular management of the currency spread in our fixed-income portfolio we bring about extensive matching of currencies on the assets and liabilities sides of the balance sheet, as a consequence of which fluctuations in exchange rates have no significant influence on our result. At year-end 2012 we held 40.4% (39.9%) of our investments in euro, 37.1% (37.4%) in US dollars and 8.2% (7.6%) in pound sterling.