Orders for U.S. manufactured goods rose 1.2% in August, the Commerce Department said Wednesday, after declining 2.1% the prior month.
Economists were predicting a 0.3% increase, according to a Wall Street Journal poll.
Excluding transportation, orders rose 1.4% in August after a 0.7% gain in the prior month.
Durable-goods orders rose a stronger-than-expected 0.2% in August, according to data released last week, on the strength of increased military spending.
Orders for nondefense capital goods, excluding aircraft, rose 0.7% in August.
U.S. stocks were trading mixed early Wednesday, with the S&P 500 SPX posting modest gains and the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA remaining flat.