Japan's core private-sector machinery orders jumped a seasonally adjusted 15 percent in January from the previous month for the second straight monthly gain, led by large orders from the steel industry, the government said Monday.
The orders, widely regarded as a leading indicator of future capital spending, totaled ¥934.7 billion ($8.2 billion). The orders exclude those for ships and from utilities because of their volatility.
The size of the increase, which followed a revised 1 percent rise in December, was the largest since comparable data became available in April 2005.