US factory orders rose for the fifth time in six months in April, according to the Census Bureau, climbing 4.8% to $662.7bn following a 1.8% increase in March.
Source: Sharecast
Shipments were also higher, up 1% month-on-month to $641bn after a 1.5% rise previously.
Unfilled orders continued their long run of gains, increasing 1.7% to $1.57trn - the 21st rise in the past 22 months - pushing the unfilled‑orders‑to‑shipments ratio up to 6.95 from 6.88.
Inventories rose for a seventh straight month, edging 0.3% higher to $959.1bn, though the inventories‑to‑shipments ratio dipped slightly to 1.50 from 1.51 in March.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
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