US factory orders up 1.5% in June

New orders for U.S.-manufactured goods rose in June for the third straight month, boosted by orders for durable goods, the U.S. Department of Commerce said on Friday. U.S. factory orders increased by 7.6 billion U.S. dollars, or 1. 5 percent, to a seasonally-adjusted 496.7 billion dollars in June. This was the highest level since the report was first published in 1992, following a revised 3.0-percent May increase, said the department. New orders for durable goods, or big-ticket items expected to last at least three years such as computers, cars and machinery, jumped 3.9 percent to around 244.2 billion dollars in June. New orders for nondurable goods, including food, paper products, petroleum and coal products, edged down 0.6 percent to about 252.4 billion dollars in June.