US industrial production fell for the first time in five months and experienced its largest decline since January of this year, surprising analysts who were expecting a modest increase. The Federal Reserve reported that US industrial production fell 0.5 pct in October due to across-the-board declines in production of autos, home electronics, appliances, furniture and other goods. The report also put October's plant capacity utilization rate at 81.7 pct, down from 82.2 the prior month. Analysts were expecting a 0.1 pct rise in production and an operating rate of about 82.0 pct. September production was revised upwardly to a 0.2 pct rise from 0.1 pct, and September's capacity use was adjusted up by a tenth of a percentage point to 82.2 pct. Utility output fell the hardest of all major industry groups, down 1.6 pct after falling just 0.1 pct in September and rising 5.2 pct in August. A whopping 7.7 pct drop in natural gas production brought the utilities number down. Manufacturing fell 0.4 pct, led by a 0.8 pct decline in machinery, 1.2 pct decline in electrical equipment and appliances, and 1.0 pct decline in autos and auto parts.