U.S. factory orders rose 1% in December, marking the eighth gain in nine months, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
The improvement was twice economists’ forecasts of a 0.5% increase, Bloomberg reported.
Both durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, and non-durables orders, such as oil and food, also rose 1%.
Bookings excluding transportation orders, which tend to be volatile, rose 1.2%.
The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.
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