Factories See Orders Climb 1.6%

Orders to U.S. factories for durable goods climbed 1.6 percent in July, the government said in a report Friday that some analysts said showed little sign of an anticipated economic deceleration.

“It shows the economy is still very healthy,” said economist Gary Thayer of A.G. Edwards & Sons, a St. Louis stock brokerage. “If it’s slowing down, it’s not slowing down significantly.”

The Commerce Department report said most major categories shared in the orders growth to a seasonally adjusted $172.7 billion, up from $170 billion in June.

The advance was the second in three months, including a big 4.2 percent jump in May. Orders had slipped a revised 0.2 percent in June, which was less than the original 0.8 percent estimate.

Orders are considered a key gauge of the manufacturing sector, since gains could mean increased production and more jobs.