Factory orders rose 1.0 percent in December | Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New orders at factories jumped by an unexpectedly large 1 percent in December despite a drop in transportation equipment orders, while inventories shrank, a government report showed on Thursday.
Analysts polled by Reuters expected orders to increase by 0.5 percent. Factory orders for November were revised up to a 1 percent gain.
Transportation orders fell by 0.5 percent on a 34.1 percent drop in civilian aircraft orders. Excluding transportation, new orders rose 1.2 percent in the month.
Inventories fell for the first time in three months, dipping 0.1 percent.
The inventories-to-shipments ratio slipped to 1.29, the lowest since August 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6133IB20100204

The business cycle rolls on. 

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