US factory orders rise in December

Factory orders in the United States rose to the highest level in nearly a year and a half in December, affected by strong demand for defense aircraft, as well as a rise in manufacturing activity in January after declining for five consecutive months.

The Institute for Supply Management said that US industrial goods orders rose 1.8% in December, the biggest gain since August 2018 compared to the 1.2% recorded in November.

Factory orders excluding defense fell 0.6% in December after rising 0.1% in November, and analysts had expected US factory orders to rise 1.2% in December, and factory orders fell 0.6% in 2019.