--US May factory orders +2.5%; ex-transportation +2.3%
--US May factory orders post strongest growth since June 2000
--US May durable goods orders revised to +3.0%, from +2.9%
--US May factory inventories -0.3%; shipments +2.6%
--US May unfilled orders -0.7%
--US May's inventory/shipments ratio 1.37 vs April's 1.41

By Andrew Williams
Washington, July 3 (BridgeNews) - Broad increases in demand in May for manufactured goods pushed U.S. factory orders up 2.5%, the sharpest increase since June 2000, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Tuesday. Orders topped economists' expectations for a 1.6% jump and partially reversed a revised 3.4% decline in April. Excluding transportation, factory orders rose 2.3% in May, while factory inventories slipped 0.3%.

Growth in May orders for durable goods were revised up a notch to 3.0%, from up 2.9% as reported in the June 2 preliminary report on durable goods. May non-durable goods shipments, being reported for the first time Tuesday, were up 1.9% after a revised 0.6% decline the month before, the Commerce Department said.