Machinery orders rebounded in November, signaling that companies are willing to invest even as the yen remains strong and the global economy slows.
The orders, an indicator of future capital spending, rose 14.8 percent in November from a month earlier, the Cabinet Office said in Tokyo on Monday. The median estimate of 29 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a 5.1 percent rise.
Weak overseas demand and gains in the yen have cut profits at several exporters, from Nippon Steel Corp. to Panasonic Corp. The rebound in orders signals that the world's third-largest economy is showing some resilience to the stronger currency and a slowing global economy.