JAPAN DATA: Japan’s core private-sector machinery orders appear to
have posted a second straight month-on-month rise in January, up by a
seasonally adjusted 3.0% following +1.7% in December, according to the
median forecast of economists surveyed by Market News International. The
Cabinet Office will release January machinery orders data at 0850 JST on
Wednesday, March 9 (2350 GMT on Tuesday). Core machinery orders,
excluding orders for ships and those from the electric power industry,
are widely seen as a leading indicator for business investment.