U.S. Factory Orders Rise 3% In June On Solid Aircraft Orders

Factory orders jumped 3% in June, the first gain after two consecutive monthly declines, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected a gain of 2.9% for overall factory orders. Analysts had anticipated the increase because of strong demand for Boeing[S: BA] planes in the month. Aircraft orders pushed up orders for durable goods to a revised 6.4% gain in June compared with the prior estimate of a 6.5%. Orders excluding transportation orders slipped 0.2% in June. Orders for nondurables fell 0.3%.