WASHINGTON — Industrial production rose 0.7% in February after a revised flat reading the previous month, while capacity utilization edged up to 79.6% from a revised 79.2% in January, the Federal Reserve reported Friday.
The February gain in industrial production was higher than the 0.4% increase projected by economists polled by Thomson Reuters, and the increase in capacity utilization was above the 79.3% predicted.
The numbers for January were revised from an originally reported 0.1% dip for industrial production and 79.1% for capacity utilization.
Manufacturing output was up 0.8% for February following a revised 0.3% decline the previous month, originally reported as a 0.4% decrease.
Utilities rose 1.6% in February after surging a revised 4.9% in January, originally reported as a 3.5% gain, the Fed reported.