Japan’s core machinery orders, a key gauge of business investment that excludes volatile items such as ships and electric utilities, rose 9.7% month on month to JPY 1.06 trillion in June 2026. The increase reversed a 12.4% drop in May and exceeded the market forecast for a 7.8% gain, marking the third monthly rise so far this year and the fastest pace since February. Orders from manufacturers jumped 19.9% after a 14.9% decline in May, while non-manufacturing orders also improved. On an annual basis, core orders increased 16.9%, swinging from a 1.9% fall in May and outpacing expectations for a 10.8% rise, pointing to the strongest yearly gain in four months.