Japan's core private-sector machinery orders fell 9.8 percent in February from the previous month, government data showed Wednesday. The orders, which exclude those for ships and from electricity utilities due to their volatility, totaled 811.4 billion yen ($6.5 billion), according to the Cabinet Office. The fall in machinery orders, which are seen as a leading indicator of corporate capital spending, followed a 2.0 percent fall in January.
