Orders at U.S. factories for long-lasting goods, such as new cars or machinery, jumped 9.9% in July, the Commerce Department said Monday.
Orders have risen in five of the last six months. They dropped 6.9% in June on weak aircraft orders. Excluding the volatile transportation sector, orders were up 0.2% in July after a 0.1% gain in the prior month.
Another measure in the report seen as a bellwether for business investment — core capital-goods orders, which exclude volatile sectors like transportation and defense — slipped 0.1% last month after a 0.5% rise in June.
Shipments of core goods, which are factored into GDP, fell 0.4% in July.
Orders for new cars and trucks rose 34.8% in July after a 20.6% drop in the prior month. Excluding defense, orders rose 10.4% in July. Orders for computers and electronics fell 0.7%, while machinery orders were flat.