Factory Orders Fall in March

U.S. factory orders fell in March after rising the month before, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The 0.9% drop followed a revised 0.7% increase in February that was smaller than originally reported.

Economists had forecast a 0.6% decrease for March, Bloomberg reported.

Durable goods orders, which make up slightly more than half of factory orders, fell 0.8%. Excluding transportation orders, which tend to be volatile, orders also fell 0.9%.

The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.