What Goes Down... Must Come Up... Factory Orders Edition

Orders for U.S. manufactured goods increased a seasonally adjusted 0.9% in September on gains in machinery, autos, defense goods and chemicals, the Commerce Department estimated Tuesday.

Factory orders have risen in five of the past six months, but are down 13.9% in the first nine months of 2009 compared with the same period a year ago.

Factory orders fell 0.8% in August and rose 1.4% in July. Read the full report.
September's 0.9% gain was stronger than the 0.6% increase expected by economists surveyed by MarketWatch.

The report is consistent with other data showing the factory sector bouncing back from the worst recession since World War II. On Monday, the Institute for Supply Management reported that its purchasing managers' index rose to 55.7% in October, the highest in two years.