Core machine orders in Japan plummeted a seasonally adjusted 8.8 percent on month in April, the Cabinet Office said on Wednesday.
That missed forecasts for a contraction of 8.1 percent following the 14.2 percent surge in March.
On a yearly basis, core machine orders dipped 1.1 percent - beating expectations for a fall of 4.3 percent following the 2.4 percent increase in the previous month.
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