Orders to U.S. Factories Climb Most in More Than Four Years

Orders to U.S. factories climbed in January by the most in more than four years as demand for commercial aircraft rebounded after slumping the previous month.

Bookings for manufacturers’ goods increased 3.1 percent, the most since September 2006, after a revised 1.4 percent gain in December that was larger than previously estimated, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. Orders excluding transportation equipment also advanced, propelled by a jump in demand for non-durable goods that may reflect higher commodity prices.