FX.co ★ US Factory Orders Rise More than Expected

In February 2025, new orders for US manufactured goods experienced a month-over-month growth of 0.6%. This followed an upward revision of a 1.8% increase in January and slightly exceeded market predictions, which anticipated a 0.5% rise. The demand in transportation equipment saw a 1.5% incline, although it was less than the significant 10.2% leap observed in January. This gain was chiefly driven by orders for defense aircraft and parts, which surged by 9.2%, and motor vehicle bodies, parts, and trailers, which rose by 1.9%. Other sectors also saw increased demand, including computers and electrical equipment, appliances, and components (climbing to 1.9% from a previous decline of 0.6%), machinery (increased by 0.6% compared to a flat reading in the prior month), fabricated metal products (up by 0.9% following a 1.5% decrease), and primary metals, which grew by 1.2% compared to a previous increase of 1.9%.