US factory orders slip 0.2 percent

In this photo made on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015, a man sprays parts to builds fans for industrial ventilation systems at the Robinson Fans Inc. plant in Harmony, Pa. The Commerce Department releases factory orders for January on Thursday, March 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) In this photo made on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015, a man sprays parts to builds fans for industrial ventilation systems at the Robinson Fans Inc. plant in Harmony, Pa. The Commerce Department releases factory orders for January on Thursday, March 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

By Associated Press March 5, 2015 1 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Orders to U.S. factories fell again in January but a key investment category showed a gain.

The Commerce Department says orders to factories edged down 0.2 percent in January following declines of 3.5 percent in December and 1.7 percent in November.

In an encouraging sign, orders in a category viewed as a proxy for business investment showed an increase of 0.5 percent in January following declines of 0.5 percent in both December and November.