Factory Orders Improve in June

U.S. factory orders rose in June a third straight month, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The 0.4% gain followed a revised 1.1% increase in May that was slightly below the 1.2% that had been originally reported.

Economists had forecast a 0.8% decline for June orders, Bloomberg reported.

Durable goods orders, which make up slightly more than half of factory orders, fell 2.2%. Excluding transportation orders, which tend to be volatile, orders rose 2.3%.

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