2017.11.0819:51:00UTC+00Japan Core Machine Orders Tumble 8.1% In September

The value of core machine orders in Japan plunged a seasonally adjusted 8.1 percent on month in September, the Cabinet Office said on Thursday - standing at 1.027 trillion yen.

That missed expectations for a decline of 2.0 percent following the 3.4 percent gain in August.

On a yearly basis, core machine orders tumbled 3.5 percent - again missing expectations for a gain of 2.0 percent following the 4.4 percent increase in the previous month.

The total value of machine orders, which includes volatile ones for ships and electric power companies, skidded 10.2 percent on month and gained 9.1 percent on year to 2.319 trillion yen.

Manufacturing orders fell 5.1 percent on month and climbed 14.8 percent on year to 392.1 billion yen, while non-manufacturing orders tumbled 11.1 percent on month and 13.3 percent on year to 432.9 billion yen.

Government orders plummeted 30.9 percent on month and 9.4 percent on year to 218.2 billion yen. Orders from overseas shed 9.8 percent on month and jumped 25.4 percent on year to 1,001.7 billion yen. Orders from agencies eased 4.9 percent on month and 2.2 percent on year to 119.8 billion yen.

For the third quarter of 2017, core machine orders advanced 4.7 percent on quarter and fell 2.5 percent on year.

For the fourth quarter of 2017, core machine orders are forecast to have fallen 3.5 percent on quarter and 1.8 percent on year.

Also on Thursday: . Japan had a current account surplus of 2.271 trillion yen in September, the Ministry of Finance said - missing forecasts for a surplus of 2.363 trillion yen and was down from 2.380 trillion yen in August.

The trade balance showed a surplus of 852.2 billion yen, beating forecasts for 832.5 billion yen and up from 318.7 billion yen in the previous month.

Exports climbed 14.4 percent on year to 6.725 trillion yen, while imports advanced an annual 12.7 percent to 5.873 trillion yen.

The capital account showed a deficit of 4.4 billion yen, while the financial account saw a surplus of 2.037 trillion yen.

. Overall bank lending in Japan was up 2.8 percent on year in October, the Bank of Japan said - coming in at 518.090 trillion yen.

That was shy of forecasts for an increase of 3.0 percent following the downwardly revised 2.9 percent gain in September (originally 3.0 percent).

Excluding trusts, bank lending again advanced an annual 2.8 percent to 450.429 trillion yen - also shy of forecasts for 3.0 percent, which would have been unchanged.

Lending from trusts gained 2.6 percent on year to 67.661 trillion yen, while lending from foreign banks plummeted 24.5 percent to 2.052 trillion yen.