U.S. factory production rose slightly in August as resilient business investment more than offset a pullback in the output of consumer goods, consistent with steady manufacturing activity.
The 0.1% increase in manufacturing output last month followed an auto-fueled 0.6% July increase, Federal Reserve data showed Sept. 15. Including mining and utilities, total industrial production fell 0.2% in August.
The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 0.1% decline in factory output and no change in total industrial production.