TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - Private sector machinery orders in the fourth quarter to December are expected to fall 0.5 pct from the previous quarter, after falling 5.7 pct in the third quarter to September, the Cabinet Office said.
Third quarter orders fell 10.5 pct year-on-year.
The Cabinet Office provided the following breakdown of third quarter orders, on a quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year basis:
Manufacturing - down 9.7 pct, down 20.5 pct
Non-manufacturing - down 1.4 pct, down 3.3 pct
Public sector - down 10.0 pct, down 7.6 pct
Offshore - down 3.8 pct, down 21.2 pct

It also provided the following estimated percentage changes for the fourth quarter, from the previous quarter:
Manufacturing - down 3.7 pct
Non-manufacturing - up 1.7 pct
Public sector - up 8.1 pct
Offshore - down 11.6 pct