WASHINGTON - Factory orders fell 0.9% at a seasonally adjusted rate in October, the first decline since June, the Commerce Department reported Friday.
Orders excluding transportation slipped 0.2% for the month, the first drop since July.
Economists expected factory orders would fall 0.7% for the month, according to the median estimate from Thomson Reuters.
Factory orders for September were revised higher to a 3.0% rise from the 2.1% increase reported last month. September orders excluding transportation were revised to a 1.3% gain from the initially reported 0.4% increase.
Auto vehicle and parts orders, the only sector to increase in October, edged up 0.6%. Nondefense capital goods orders dropped 4.3%. Computers and electronic equipment orders sank 7.9%, the largest drop since December 2008.
