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TOKYO, April 11(Reuters) - Japan's core machinery orders fell 2.3 percent in February from the previous month, and analysts expect a sharp fall ahead as last month's devastating earthquake and tsunami disrupted supply chains and hurt production.
The fall in core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as an indicator of capital spending in the coming six to nine months, compared with economists' median forecast of a 1.1 percent drop and followed a 4.2 percent gain in January.
The government maintained its assessment of machinery orders, saying they are in a recovery trend but weak movements are seen in the nonmanufacturing sector.
Compared with a year earlier, core orders, which exclude orders for ships and machinery at electric power firms, increased 7.6 percent in February.
Manufacturers surveyed by the Cabinet Office have forecast that core orders would rise 2.7 percent in January-March from the previous quarter. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
Japan Feb core machinery orders down 2.3 pct mth/mth
