TOKYO: Foreign investors sold Japanese equities for a third straight week as risk appetite took a hit after sharp spikes in cases of the novel coronavirus around the world.

Overseas investors were net sellers of stocks worth 282.03 billion yen ($2.62 billion) in the week ended June 26, data from Japanese stock exchanges showed.

The net selling last week consisted of outflows worth of 485.28 billion yen in cash markets, while purchases of derivatives stood at 203.25 billion.

Following an easing of lockdowns, several nations have witnessed a sharp rise in Covid-19 infections that have raised concerns about a V-shaped recovery in the global economy.

Tokyo confirmed more than 100 new infection cases on Thursday, its highest daily tally in two months. Japan's major indexes were mixed last week as the Nikkei index gained 0.15%, while the Topix index shed 0.34%. Meanwhile, Japanese investors purchased overseas equities worth a net 148.3 billion yen last week, finance ministry data showed.