Japan bond outflows surge as oil prices raise inflation worries

Foreign investors sold Japanese bonds heavily in the week through April 25 on inflationary worries due to rising oil prices and caution ahead of the policy decision by the Bank of Japan.

Foreigners ditched a net 786.9 billion yen ($5.01 billion)worth of Japanese long-term bonds, a significant rise from 294.7 billion yen in net sales the prior week. They also shed short-term bonds of a net 1.12 trillion yen, data from Japan's Ministry of Finance showed on Friday.

The BOJ on Tuesday kept interest rates steady but three of the nine-member board proposed a hike, signaling policymakers' concerns over inflationary pressures from a rise in oil prices.

The 10-year Japanese government bond yield JP10YTN=JBTC reached a 29-year high of 2.525% on Thursday as oil prices surged to a four-year high amid a stalemate in the U.S.-Iran peace negotiations.

Foreigners, meanwhile, bought 807.9 billion yen of Japanese stocks as they extended the recent buying streak into a fourth straight week. Foreigners pumped roughly 10.08 billion yen into these stocks, in these four successive weeks.

At the same time, Japanese investors bought a net 41.2 billion yen of foreign stocks and remained net buyers for the 10th straight week.

They, however, ditched foreign long-term bonds of 887.7 billion yen and short-term instruments of 263.8 billion yen.

($1 = 157.1300 yen)

Foreign flows into Japanese debt securities https://reut.rs/46jRa8B

Foreign flows into Japanese stocks https://reut.rs/47spgbA

Japanese investments in stocks abroad https://reut.rs/4n6yajq

Japanese investments in overseas debt securities https://reut.rs/4gg1uC8

-Reporting by Gaurav Dogra; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala/Reuters