--US June factory orders -2.4%; ex-transportation -2.3%
--US June durable goods orders revised to -1.7%, from -2.0%
--US June factory inventories -0.7%; shipments -2.8%
--US June unfilled orders -0.5%
--US June's inventory/shipments ratio 1.40 vs May's 1.37
--US June shipments of non-defense capital goods ex-aircraft -2.9%

By Andrew Williams
Washington, Aug. 2 (BridgeNews) - Reflecting the ongoing weak demand for manufactured goods, June orders to U.S. factories dropped 2.4%, undershooting economists' expectations for a 1.5% decline and reversing a revised 2.2% increase in May orders. Excluding transportation equipment, factory orders fell 2.3% in June, and factory inventories declined 0.7%.
June's non-durable shipments, a proxy for non-durable goods orders, were down 3.3% after a revised 1.5% increase the month before, the Commerce Department said.
Orders for durable goods were revised to down 1.7%, from down 2.0% as initially reported in the July 26 preliminary report on durable goods. (See story .4726)

WHAT WAS EXPECTED
In a BridgeNews survey, private analysts forecast June factory orders would be reported in a range of down 1.8% to down 1.0%.

FACTORY INVENTORIES, SHIPMENTS
Data on factory activity reflect the recession that continues to hit this sector of the economy:
--Factory shipments dropped 2.8% in June, largely offsetting a revised 2.4% increase in May.
--Manufacturers' inventories fell 0.7%, extending a revised 0.6% decline in May. --The inventory-to-shipments ratio rose to 1.40 in June, compared with May's 1.37. --Unfilled orders were down 0.5% in June, extending a revised 0.8% decrease the prior month.
CAPITAL GOODS SHIPMENTS
Shipments of non-defense capital goods, excluding aircraft declined 2.9% in June after being reported down 0.4% in May. These shipments are an indicator of trends in capital spending and the contribution of producers' durable equipment purchases to GDP growth.

ORDERS DETAILS
Commerce said transportation equipment orders fell 3.3% in June, in line with the previous durable goods report.
Orders for electronic and other electric equipment was revised to down 1.3%; they were previously reported down 3.2%. Orders for industrial machinery were revised to down 9.5%; they were previously reported down 0.5%.