Machine Tool Orders Up 44% in December:...

Machine Tool Orders Up 44% in December: Machine tool orders rose 44% in December to end the year up 5.4% in a show of strength in an otherwise weak economy, the Assn. of Manufacturing Technology said. Orders for machine tools increased to $291.3 million in December from $202.7 million the month before and topped $2.96 billion for the year, the second-highest annual total since 1980, the association said. Shipments of machine tools rose 31.2% in December from the month before to $350.9 million but were down 7.5% from year-earlier levels. For the year, shipments rose 3.3% to $3.3 billion from $3.1 billion the year before.