Jet sales lift US factory orders

Total orders to factories rose by 3.1%, topping forecasts for a rise of 2.1% and adding to signs that a recent US manufacturing slowdown may be ending.

Orders for transportation goods such as aircraft fared strongly, rising by 9.5%, the Commerce Department said.

A separate report recently indicated that US manufacturing activity was increasing after a previous decline.

The Institute for Supply Management said its closely-watched manufacturing activity index rose to an 11-month high of 54.7 in April. A figure below 50 implies contraction in the sector.

US manufacturing sentiment has been rocky in recent months, as companies looked to trim new orders in the wake of a general slump in housing and a build-up in supplies of unsold cars.

However, the Commerce Department said orders for durable goods - items built to last for at least three years - rose by a healthy 3.7% during March, topping forecasts for a rise or 3.3%.

Orders for non-durable goods, such as petrol and chemicals, rose by 2.3% - the biggest monthly gain in more than a year.

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