The current account surplus grew 2.6 percent in October from a year earlier to a preliminary 1.377 trillion yen, the Finance Ministry said Monday.

The second consecutive monthly rise was attributed to growth in the income account surplus that more than offset the drop in the goods and services trade surplus, the ministry said in the preliminary report.

The income account, covering income from Japanese investments in foreign securities and payments by foreign employers in Japan, posted a surplus of 855.2 billion yen, up 44 percent for the 15th straight month.