Japan’s machinery orders drop 5.4 percent in April to 22-year low amid recovery doubts

TOKYO — Japan’s core machinery orders, a closely watched indicator of corporate capital spending, tumbled to a 22-year low in April as uncertainty about an economic recovery kept companies cautious.

Japan’s machinery orders drop 5.4 percent in April

TOKYO — Japan’s core machinery orders, a closely watched indicator of corporate spending, dropped 5.4 percent in April, the government said Wednesday, dimming prospects for a quick recovery in the world’s second-largest economy.