This sharp sell-off for the week ended Feb 22 marks the largest weekly net sales since Sept 21, 2024, according to data released by the country’s finance ministry.

The Nikkei share average hit a five-month low today, dragged by chip-related stocks after Nvidia’s strong growth forecast did little to lift sentiment.

Despite the equities outflow, Japanese long-term bonds attracted ¥438 billion in net inflows for the second consecutive week, while short-term bills saw ¥478.4 billion in outflows.

Japanese investors modestly purchased overseas equities, adding ¥19.7 billion, following a much larger ¥345.4 billion buy in the previous week.

On the other hand, there was a net sale of ¥200.8 billion in long-term foreign debt securities, ending a two-week buying streak.