US factory orders edged up 0.1 percent in August as backlogs kept growing
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New orders for manufactured goods rose by $0.7bn in August to a seasonally adjusted $663.5bn, the Census Bureau reported Friday. The 0.1 percent increase followed a 0.8 percent rise in July.
Shipments were virtually unchanged at $658.6bn after eight consecutive monthly increases.
The backlog continued to grow. Unfilled orders rose by $9.9bn, or 0.6 percent, to $1.610tn. The ratio of unfilled orders to shipments increased to 6.87 from 6.81.
Inventories rose for an 11th month, increasing 0.5 percent to $972.4bn. The inventories-to-shipments ratio moved up to 1.48 from 1.47.


