Orders to U.S. factories posted the biggest gain in three months in November but the strength was concentrated in a surge in demand for commercial aircraft.
The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that orders to factories rose by 2.5 percent in November to a record-high of $407.7 billion. It was the best percentage gain since a 2.9 percent rise in August and followed a 1.7 percent October increase. The report was heavily influenced by a surge in demand for commercial aircraft, which shot up by 134.3 percent.
