For the third consecutive month, production output at America’s factories, mines, and utilities has risen in September more than analysts expected. However, analysts have warned that industrial output may slow significantly once federal stimulus money has all been spent and industrial companies must once again rely on their own capital.
September’s increase came largely from increased production of auto vehicles and parts, which was in part due to the government’s Cash for Clunkers program and its impact on the demand for new vehicles. Steel and other industrial sectors also posted increases while General Electric posted growth in its industrial businesses in …read more

Although gross production from American factories, mines, and utilities has slowed for the past nine months, July marked a larger-than-expected increase in production and the first gain in the same period. Marking the second increase in production since December 2007, analysts have pointed to the statistic as a beacon of hope that the economy may be on a path to recovery.
 
The data came from the Federal Reserve, which noted a 0.5 percent total increase in production throughout the month of July, trumping the average analyst estimate of a 0.3 percent increase. Automakers were the most significant component of the increase, …read more