SeptemberFactory Orders Rise 0.2%

U.S. factory orders rose 0.2% in September, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The downturn followed a revised 3.5% increase in August that was higher than originally reported, Commerce said. Excluding transportation orders, bookings rose 1.4%.

The September increase was in contrast to economists’ forecasts of a 0.7% decline, Bloomberg reported.

Durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, fell 1.7%, following a 5.3% decline in July.

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