By Steve Goldstein
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Factory orders fell 1.2% in April to $440.4 billion after a upwardly revised 3.8% gain in March, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Factory orders were forecast to drop 0.8%, according to a MarketWatch poll of economists. March orders initially reported to have gained 3.4%. Excluding transport, new orders slipped 0.2% in April. Shipments fell 0.2%, the first drop after seven straight monthly gains.
