US factory orders rise solidly in February

New orders for US-manufactured goods increased solidly in February, likely as businesses front-loaded orders ahead of tariffs.

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Factory orders rose 0.68 after an upwardly revised 1.88 rebound in January, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast factory orders would climb 0.58 after a previously reported 1.78 advance in January. Factory orders gained 1.58 on a year-on-year basis in February. Manufacturing, which accounts for 10.28 of the economy, could be crippled by President Donald Trump's barrage of tariffs since returning to the