A leading indicator of corporate capital spending, Japan's core machinery orders jumped 20.1% in December from the previous month, official data showed on Feb. 10.

The figure reversed an 11.3% drop marked in November and was much stronger than a monthly rise of around 8% the market had expected.

The core orders, which exclude particularly volatile demand from power companies and for ships, are seen as a key barometer of business investment.

Core orders from manufacturing companies rose 17.1% month-on-month in December while those from non-manufacturers soared 22.9%, the Cabinet Office said.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010