Core private-sector machinery orders fell a seasonally adjusted 2.1 pct in May from April, the Cabinet Office said. The market had expected a decline of 5.5 pct, according to the results of a survey by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Core private-sector machinery orders, which exclude volatile orders from electric utilities and for ships, are viewed as a leading indicator of corporate capital spending. Year-on-year, core machinery orders were up 15.8 pct in May. In April, machinery orders were 10.8 pct higher than in March and 12.2 pct higher than a year earlier. Machinery orders placed by the manufacturing sector in May declined 5.5 pct month-on-month but were up 13.1 pct from a year before. Orders placed by non-manufacturers were up 0.2 pct month-on-month and jumped 17.7 pct from a year earlier. Public-sector orders fell 9.9 pct from April and were down 3.3 pct from a year before. Foreign orders fell 4.0 pct from April but rose 23.0 pct year-on-year. Total orders dropped 1.7 pct month-on-month but were up 17.5 pct from a year earlier.