Japan's core machinery orders unexpectedly fell in August, underlining persistent pressure on businesses and the broader economy as firms struggle to shake off the drag from the coronavirus pandemic. The Cabinet Office data on Wednesday showed core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as an indicator of capital spending in the coming six to nine months, fell 2.4% in August from the previous month, dragged down by the biggest decline in orders from manufacturers in more than five years. The contraction compared with July's 0.9% rise, while a Reuters poll of economists had predicted 1.7% growth. In comments ... (full story)