U.S. FACTORY ORDERS ROSE 4.3 PCT IN FEBRUARY
New orders for manufactured goods
rose 8.0 billion dlrs, or 4.3 pct, in February to a seasonally
adjusted 194.6 billion dlrs, the Commerce Department said.
    It was the largest one month rise in orders since a 4.8 pct
increase in September 1986, the department said.
    The February gain followed a revised orders drop in January
of 5.3 pct, the largest drop on record since the department
revised the statistics in 1982.
    The January decline was originally reported as 4.0 pct.
    Excluding defense orders factory orders rose 3.2 pct in
February after a 3.9 pct January decline.
    The new orders rise in February included an increase in
durable goods orders of 6.4 billion dlrs, or 6.7 pct, to 101.9
billion dlrs. The department had estimated on March 24 that
February durable goods orders rose 6.0 pct.
    New orders for nondurable goods  were up 1.6 billion dlrs,
or 1.8 pct, in February to 92.7 billion dlrs, the department
said.
    These figures compared with a January decline of 9.8 pct in
durables orders and no change in nondurables orders in January.
    Defense orders rose 2.2 billion dlrs, or 47.8 pct, in
February after falling 38.5 pct in January.
    Orders for nondefense capital goods gained a slight 0.1 pct
in February after falling 8.6 pct in January.
    Within major industry categories, orders increases were
widespread. Transportation equipment was up 12.5 pct after
falling by 17.9 pct in January.
    Primary metals orders rose 12.7 pct in February after
dropping by 20.1 pct in January.
    Electrical machinery orders rose 6.9 pct in February after
dropping 15.4 pct in January.
    February shipments were up 5.8 billion dlrs, or 3.0 pct to
195.7 billion dlrs after falling 3.9 pct in January.
    Unfilled orders declined 1.1 billion dlrs, or 0.3 pct, to
369.4 billion dlrs.  It was the third consecutive monthly
decline in unfilled orders, the department said.
    Manufacturers' inventories were down slightly in February
to 320.4 billion dlrs after rising in January by 0.8 pct.
 Reuter
