Orders placed with U.S. plants increased in October for the first time in three months led by demand for vehicles and electrical equipment. Factory orders were up 1.5 percent that month, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Economists polled by CBS.MarketWatch.com looked for a 1.7 percent increase. September factory orders were revised down slightly, to a smaller 2.4 percent drop. Bookings at manufacturers for durable goods rose 2.4 percent, a downward revision from the 2.8 percent gain reported by the government in a previous release.Year-to-date, new orders for 2002 are down 1.5 percent from the same period a year ago.
