U.S. factory orders excluding transportation rose 1.3% in April 2026 month-over-month, slowing from a revised 1.6% gain in March, according to data updated on 3 June 2026. The “ex transportation” measure, which strips out the often-volatile aircraft and vehicle categories, is closely watched as a gauge of underlying demand in the manufacturing sector.
The moderation in April suggests that while core factory activity is still expanding, the pace of growth has eased slightly compared with the previous month. On a month-over-month basis, the latest increase reflects continued, but somewhat softer, order flows after March’s stronger advance. Investors and policymakers will be monitoring upcoming data to see whether this dip marks a brief pause or the start of a more sustained cooling in U.S. manufacturing demand.
