Japan's core private-sector machinery orders in December increased 2.7 percent from the previous month, government data showed Monday.
The orders, which exclude those for ships and from electric utilities due to their volatility, totaled 838.8 billion yen ($5.6 billion), according to the Cabinet Office.
The rise in machinery orders, seen as a leading indicator of corporate capital spending, followed a 4.9 percent fall in November.
