JAPAN DATA: The total value of orders for machine tools rose 15.9%
to Y112.0 billion in November from a year earlier, up for 24 months in a
row following a 26.0% rise in October, data from the Japan Machine Tool
Builders’ Association showed. Orders in the domestic market, which are
seen as a leading indicator for Japan’s core machinery orders, rose
22.0% on year following a 25.0% rise in October. Orders from overseas,
which account for about 70% of overall orders, increased 13.0% after a
26.5% gain in October. The association forecast orders will total around
Y1.3 trillion this year.