Factory Orders Decline in October

Washington, DC, Dec. 5, 2011 -- Orders for U.S.-made factory goods fell by 0.4% in October after declining 0.1% in September, the Commerce Department said.

The decline matched economists' median forecasts.

Orders for durable goods fell 0.5%, revised up from a previous estimate of a 0.7% decline. Orders for nondurable goods fell 0.3%.

Shipments of factory goods rose 1.6%, while inventories increased 0.4%.