WASHINGTON - Factory orders jumped 3.1% in January on a surge in transportation orders, the Commerce Department reported Friday.
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Orders excluding transportation increased 0.7% and durable factory orders excluding transportation goods fell 3.0% for the month, down for the first time in three months.
January transportation orders jumped 27.3% for the month, the strongest gain since September 2006.
Economists expected factory orders would increase 2.0% for the month, according to the median estimate from Thomson Reuters.
Factory orders for December rose 1.2%, revised higher from a 0.2% increase reported last month.
