Japan’s April industrial output falls 0.4% on month

Japan’s industrial output in April fell 0.4 percent from the previous month, marking the first decline in three months, government data showed Wednesday.

The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 95.5 against the 2015 base of 100, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report. The decline followed an upwardly revised 1.1 percent expansion in March.

The index of industrial shipments dropped 0.4 percent to 93.0, while that of inventories rose 0.3 percent to 104.0.

Based on a poll of manufacturers, the ministry expects output to increas...