Factories Churning Out More Goods Buoy U.S. Growth: Economy

Factories in the U.S. boosted production in January, capping the biggest back-to-back increases in more than two years, showing manufacturing will remain at the forefront of the expansion.

Output rose 0.7 percent after a revised 1.5 percent gain in December, the best two-month performance since July and August 2009, when the world’s largest economy was emerging from the recession, according to figures issued by the Federal Reserve today in Washington. Other reports showed homebuilders turned less pessimistic in February and manufacturing in the New York region grew.