Orders placed with factories for business equipment barely rose in January after falling the prior month, suggesting firms are restraining their investment amid an uncertain outlook.

U.S. factory production rose in March by more than forecast, marking the third straight month of gains that show steady progress for manufacturers against a backdrop of gradually improving supply chains.

Orders placed with U.S. factories for durable goods rose in November by the most in six months, exceeding forecasts and pointing to steady demand that will help drive production growth in early 2022.

A measure of U.S. manufacturing expanded in September at the fastest pace in four months, bolstered by robust demand for factory goods and burgeoning inventory.

A gauge of U.S. factories fell in June to the lowest since late 2009 and hovered just above the threshold between expansion and contraction, the latest signal that the American industrial sector is losing momentum amid rising uncertainty.

A gauge of U.S. manufacturing plunged last month by the most since October 2008, a fresh sign of deceleration in the economy amid global strains across the sector. U.S. stocks extended declines and Treasury yields fell after the report.

American factories are settling back into a solid pace of expansion after a post-election run-up that saw the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing gauge hit an almost three-year high, figures released June 1 showed.