Thursday, Oct 15, 2026
0850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Wednesday, Oct 14) The Cabinet Office releases August machinery orders
Mace News median: core orders +3.4% m/m (range: +2.4% to +4.6%) vs. July -3.7%; +15.3% y/y (range: +14.3% to +18.7%) vs. July +11.2%
By Chikafumi Hodo
TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan’s core machinery orders are expected to rebound on the month in August, backed by signals of strong domestic machine tool orders. The general uptrend in machinery orders is seen staying in place amid solid capital investment plans and firm global demand related to artificial intelligence, prompting orders for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and other AI-related items.
August machinery orders, a key leading indicator of business investment in equipment and software, are forecast to rise 3.4% on the month after falling 3.7% a month earlier.
In July, the decline was led by lower orders from nonferrous metal producers for nuclear power facilities and computers, computer and telecommunications equipment makers for motors and computers, and real estate firms, partly reflecting a payback after a surge in orders from those industries in the previous month.
Core machinery orders are expected to post double-digit annual growth for a third straight month in August, rising 15.3% from 11.2% in July. They rose 16.9% in June.
In July, the Cabinet Office maintained its assessment that machinery orders are “showing signs of a pickup” for a 10th straight month. The office projected in June that core orders would rise 4.9% on the quarter in the July-September period.