Core private-sector machinery orders fell a seasonally adjusted 5.7 percent in August to ¥759.4 billion from the previous month, chalking up three drops in a row, the government said Thursday.

The orders, which exclude those for ships and from utilities because of their volatility, are widely viewed as an indicator of future capital expenditure.

The government cut its basic assessment of the orders for the second consecutive month, describing the orders as "at a standstill." The previous assessment said orders were "at a standstill in their pickup trend."