Japan’s bond market sees continued foreign sell-off amid inflation fears

Foreign investors continue to retreat from Japan's long-term bonds for a fourth week, amid inflation and fiscal uncertainty, while stock markets remain a bright spot.

Japan's long-term bonds saw net outflows of 334.4 billion yen ($2.3 billion) from foreign investors in the week ending May 24, marking the fourth consecutive week of selling. Concerns over rising inflation, interest rates, and fiscal stability have triggered a broader exit from long-term debt markets globally. Japan’s short-term bills also faced significant withdrawals, with 2.41 trillion yen pulled—the largest since December 2024.

As yields on 30- and 40-year bonds surge to record highs and auction demand falters, Japan's finance officials are now considering shifting bond issuance toward shorter-term instruments. Despite the bond sell-off, foreign appetite for Japanese equities remains strong, with 309.3 billion yen worth of shares purchased during the week.

In contrast, Japanese investors reduced foreign bond purchases to just 92 billion yen—down sharply from the previous week—and sold 42.7 billion yen in short-term bills. They were also net sellers of foreign equities for the second week, offloading 524.7 billion yen.

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