Factory Orders Fall in January

Factory orders decreased 1% in January, the first decline in three months, the Commerce Department reported.

The downturn followed a revised 1.4% gain in December that was higher than originally reported.

The January decline was lower than economists’ median forecast of a 1.5% decrease, Bloomberg reported.

Capital goods orders excluding aircraft and military orders, a measure of future business investment, dropped 3.9%.

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