May 13 (Reuters) - Japanese investors turned net sellers of foreign stocks for the first time in four months in April, as concerns over higher energy costs from the Iran war and the risk of broader inflation prompted caution on overseas equities.

They divested a net 636.4 billion yen ($4.04 billion) of foreign stocks last month, logging the largest monthly net sales since October 2025, data from the Ministry of Finance showed on Wednesday.

Japanese selloff in foreign bonds, however, eased to a three-month low of 219.2 billion yen in April.

U.S. consumer inflation gained at the fastest pace in three years in April as prices rose across food, services, rental and airline costs, data from the U.S. Labor Department showed on Tuesday.

Japanese trust accounts withdrew 1.85 trillion yen from foreign stocks in the biggest monthly net pullout since June 2025, but invested to the tune of 897.3 billion yen in foreign long-term bonds.

Investment trust management companies and life insurers were, however, net buyers of 1.25 trillion yen and 333.1 billion yen worth of foreign stocks.

A separate report from the Bank of Japan showed that Japanese investors had sold U.S. bonds of 4.95 trillion yen and European bonds of 1.02 trillion yen in the first quarter.

They had sold French and German bonds of 797.66 billion yen and 307.65 billion yen, respectively.

($1 = 157.7000 yen)