Reuters reported that U.S industrial production rose slightly more than expected in June as manufacturing output picked up speed.
According to the report, output at the nation's factories, mines and utilities rose 0.3 percent in June after an unchanged reading in May, the Federal Reserve said on Tuesday. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 0.2 percent increase in June. For the second quarter as a whole, industrial output rose 0.6 percent.
Reuters reported that manufacturing was bolstered by a 1.3 percent increase in the production of motor vehicles and parts and a 1.5 percent rise in machinery. Mining output jumped 0.8 percent and utilities dropped 0.1 percent, a third consecutive monthly decline.
Industrial capacity utilization, a measure of how fully firms are deploying their resources, was relatively changed at 77.8 percent. Economists had expected a reading of 77.7 percent, according to the report.