Wednesday, Sept 16, 2026
0850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Tuesday, Sept 15) The Cabinet Office releases June and April-June machinery orders.
Mace News median: core orders -1.0% m/m (range: -7.7% to +1.8%) vs. June +9.7%; +15.3% y/y (range: +6.2% to +18.6%) vs. June +16.9%.
By Chikafumi Hodo
TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan’s core machinery orders, a key leading indicator of business investment in equipment and software, are expected to fall on the month for the first time in two months in July.
Still, machinery orders are expected to maintain their solid footing, with the Bank of Japan’s Tankan survey on capital investment plans for fiscal 2026 indicating a solid corporate appetite for capital investment. Recent indicators, including industrial production and machine tool orders, have also shown positive signals, underscoring the strength in machinery order trends.
July core orders are forecast to fall 1.0% on the month after jumping 9.7% a month earlier. The sharp rebound in June orders was led by non-ferrous metal producers, telecommunications equipment makers and real-estate firms.
On an annual basis, core machinery orders are expected to rise for the second straight month, gaining 15.3% in July after rising 16.9% in the previous month. In June, the Cabinet Office maintained its assessment that machinery orders are “showing signs of a pickup.” The office also forecast that core orders would rise a solid 4.9% on quarter in July-September.