Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The major indices continue to climb.

Factory orders decreased 0.4% month-over-month in November (Briefing.com consensus -0.3%) following an upwardly revised 0.5% increase (from 0.2%) in October. Excluding transportation, factory orders rose 0.2% on the heels of a 0.2% increase in October. Shipments of manufactured goods edged 0.1% higher in November following a 0.2% decline in October.

The key takeaway from the report is that the weakness in factory orders was concentrated in the volatile transportation equipment space; otherwise, there was a modest pickup in order activity.