Insurers' Q4 Buying Activity: LIC Leads, Infosys and IRFC Among Top Picks Despite Market Decline

Insurance Companies Increase Exposure to Large-Cap Stocks in Q1 2026

Insurance companies significantly increased their exposure to large-cap stocks in the March 2026 quarter, with Life Insurance Corporation of India leading the pack in insurer investments in equities.

As of March 31, 2026, LIC's holdings in companies where insurer stakes exceed 1 percent stood at approximately Rs 15.11 lakh crore, spread across 288 companies. In comparison, other insurers such as SBI Life Insurance, HDFC Life Insurance, and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance held significantly smaller portfolios.

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Overall, 38 insurance companies with more than 1 percent stakes together accounted for about Rs 17.18 lakh crore, or close to 78 percent of total insurance holdings in listed companies, data from PrimeInfobase shows.

In terms of ownership by number of shares across all NSE-listed companies, Insurance Companies' share went up to 1.19 percent as of March 2026, up from 1.17 percent on December 31, 2025.

Insurance companies increased their holdings in various sectors, including information technology, healthcare, industrial, and financing-related companies. In Infosys, combined holdings rose from 58.09 crore shares at the end of December to 60.12 crore shares by March, an increase of about 2.03 crore shares, even as the stock declined 22.6 percent during the quarter.

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On the other hand, insurers reduced exposure to several large-cap names, including State Bank of India, Coal India, Titan Company, Grasim Industries, and ICICI Bank, all of which saw price declines during the period.