Chinese central bank data signaled that capital flowed out of the nation for a second month in November, as bets for yuan appreciation diminished.

Yuan positions at financial institutions accumulated from foreign-exchange purchases stood at 25.46 trillion yuan ($4 trillion) as of the end of November, down 27.9 billion yuan in the month, People's Bank of China data show. The figure declined a combined 52.8 billion yuan in the past two months, the first back-to-back drop since at least 2000.

Forward contracts on the yuan weakened on concern that outflows of investment and a narrowing trade surplus will ease pressure on the currency to appreciate, even as U.S. President Barack Obama calls for China to accelerate gains. Reduced inflows are also curbing the supply of cash in the economy, prompting the monetary authority to cut lenders' reserve ratios this month for the first time in three years.