Dec 9 (Reuters) - Japanese investors sold overseas

stocks for a second consecutive month in November as they sought

to capitalize on robust gains in global equities, particularly

as U.S. stocks reached record highs.

According to data from Japan's Ministry of Finance, these

investors net sold 1.22 trillion yen ($8.12 billion) worth of

overseas stocks last month, following about 2.37 trillion yen

worth of net withdrawals in the prior month.

Japanese trust accounts divested foreign stocks worth a net

1.33 trillion yen, their third monthly net sales in a row.

Investment trust management companies, meanwhile, purchased

550.5 billion yen worth of shares, the highest in three months.

Barclays said trust accounts experienced significant net

sales, likely prompted by the need to rebalance portfolios

following a strong U.S. equity performance, while investment

trusts' heavy purchases were likely influenced by renewed

interest in new NISA-linked investment flows.

NISA, or the Nippon Individual Savings Account, is a

Japanese government tax-free stock investment programme for

individuals, which aims to turn the trillions of yen held in

cash by households into investments in stock markets.

According to data from the Bank of Japan, Japanese investors

had sold a net 1.33 trillion yen worth of U.S. equities the year

up to October.

They also ditched a net 412 billion yen and 162.2 billion

yen worth of European and British stocks in the same period.

Meanwhile, local investors sold a net 432.8 billion yen

worth of debt securities in November, extending net sales into a

second successive month, Ministry of Finance data showed.

($1 = 150.3300 yen)