Japanese government officials have just released the latest data on machinery orders. They show a contraction. 
Machinery orders are thought to be an indicator of future capital spending. If machinery orders are up, analysts tend to think that capital spending will rise too. 
For February, company managers showed cautiousness about investing in new equipment and facilities. Cabinet Office officials say the orders were down 9.2% from January. 
This is the first monthly decrease in three months, after a big rise in January, Japan's (NHK WORLD) radio reported. 
Manufacturers decreased their orders by more than 30%. The number for non-manufacturers was up 10%. 
The figures exclude the shipbuilding and power sectors, which tend to see large fluctuations.

Source ; QNA