Japan's core private-sector machinery orders fell a seasonally adjusted 3.3 percent in September from the previous month for the second consecutive month of decline, prompting the government to lower its assessment for the first time in four months, it said Thursday.
The orders, widely viewed as a leading indicator of future capital spending, totaled ¥843.7 billion, the Cabinet Office said. September's decline followed a 2.2 percent fall in August.
The government now projects orders will shrink 5.9 percent during the three months through December from the previous quarter, when a 7.3 percent rise was logged.