TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's core machinery orders rose a more-than-expected 15.0 percent in January from the previous month, Cabinet Office data showed on Monday, in a sign that rising business investment could support economic growth.
The rise in core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as an indicator of capital spending in the coming six to nine months, was much stronger than economists' median estimate for a 3.0 percent increase.
Compared with a year earlier, core orders, which exclude those of ships and electricity, rose 8.4 percent in January, versus a 3.6 percent decline seen by analysts.
