The U.S.
Commerce Department reported on Thursday that the value of new factory orders rose
0.3 percent m-o-m in October, following a revised 0.8 percent m-o-m decrease in
September (originally a 0.6 percent m-o-m drop).
Economists had
forecast a 0.3 percent m-o-m gain.
According to
the report, orders for transportation equipment jumped 0.7 percent m-o-m in
October after declining 3.2 percent m-o-m in September. Orders for computers
and electronic products rose 0.6 percent m-o-m, and machinery orders went up 1.2
percent m-o-m after edging down 0.1 percent m-o-m in September. Meanwhile,
orders for electrical equipment, appliances and components decreased 1.8
percent m-o-m after advancing 0.9 percent m-o-m in September.
Total factory
orders excluding transportation, a volatile part of the overall reading, increased
0.2 percent m-o-m in October (compared to a downwardly revised 0.3 percent
m-o-m fall in September), while orders for nondefense capital goods excluding
aircraft, a measure of business spending plans, climbed 1.1 percent m-o-m (instead
of surging 1.2 percent m-o-m as reported last week). The report also showed
that shipments of core capital goods surged 0.8 percent m-o-m in October, the
same as previously reported.
In y-o-y terms,
factory orders decreased 0.4 percent in October.