Japanese machinery orders fell for the first time in four months, a sign that companies are becoming reluctant about increasing spending as the nation’s export-led recovery slows. Factory orders, an indicator of capital spending in three to six months, fell 10.3 percent in September from the previous month, the Cabinet Office said today in Tokyo. The median forecast of 27 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a 9.5 percent decline. The report adds to evidence that the yen’s surge to a 15- year high against the dollar and slowing global growth are weighing on corporate sentiment. Toyota Motor Corp. has revised ... (full story)