Factory Orders Rise 1.2% in June

.S. factory orders rose for a second straight month in June, rising 1.2%, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

The increase followed a revised 1% gain in May that was greater than the 0.7% uptick originally reported.

The June increase was below than 1.8% rise predicted by economists, Bloomberg reported.

Excluding transportation orders, orders rose 0.1% following a 1.7% rise in May, Commerce said.

Durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, rose 2.9% after a 0.3% increase in May.