Factory orders edge up 0.3% in September (by Steve Goldstein)
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Factory orders edged up 0.3% to $453.5 billion in September, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Shipments also rose 0.3% while inventories gained 0.1%. Economists polled by MarketWatch had anticipated a 0.1% fall for September, and August orders were revised higher to show a 0.1% gain from an initially reported 0.2% drop. Year-to-date, orders are up 12.6% from the comparable period of 2010.