February Factory Orders Higher Than Expected

Washington, DC, March 31, 2010--Orders to U.S. factories rose for a sixth straight month in February as businesses rebuilt inventories, the Commerce Department said.

Government data showed that orders for manufactured goods increased 0.6 percent after an upwardly revised 2.5 percent jump in January, initially reported as a 1.7 percent advance.

Economists had forecast factory orders rising 0.5 percent last month.