U.S. factory orders rose in May for the third time in four months, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
The 1.2% gain followed a revised 0.5% increase in April that was smaller than originally reported.
Economists had forecast a 0.9% increase for May, Bloomberg reported.
Durable goods orders, which make up slightly more than half of factory orders, rose 1.8%. Excluding transportation orders, which tend to be volatile, orders rose 0.8%.
The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.
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