Core machine orders in Japan, seasonally adjusted, were flat with a slight downside bias in July, the Cabinet Office said on Thursday - falling for the second straight month.
That missed forecasts for an increase of 2.4 percent following the 2.7 percent contraction in June.
On a yearly basis, core machine orders gained 6.5 percent - also below expectations for an increase of 7.7 percent following the 4.9 percent jump in the previous month.
The total number of machinery orders, including those volatile ones for ships and from electric power companies, added 4.4 percent on month and 5.3 percent on year in July.
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