New orders for manufactured goods increased 0.4% in July, after gaining a revised 2.2% in June, first reported as a 1.8% increase, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.
Economists polled by Thomson Reuters expected orders to rise 0.9%.
Excluding transportation, new orders fell 0.6%, after a 0.6% rise the previous month. Excluding defense, orders were down 0.2% after a 2.2% increase in June.
Durable goods orders were 2.2% higher in July after a 4.1% increase in June, while nondurable goods orders were 1.3% lower in July after a 0.4% gain in June.
