Industrial production was up 3.2 percent on the month in January, much improved from December's up revised minus 2.7 percent. Energy fell 3.4 percent, while capital goods, intermediate goods and consumer goods increased by 4.1 percent, 4.0 percent and 2.6 percent respectively.

Year-over-year, output was down 0.6 percent from December's up revised 6.9 percent. This was largely due to capital goods, energy and intermediate goods all of which posted falls of 0.8 percent, 0.8 percent and 0.6 percent respectively. These offset the 0.4 percent increase in consumer goods.

In sum, goods production had subtle improvements, however output remained unchanged over the last three months.

Industrial production measures the physical output of the nation's factories, mines and utilities. Construction is excluded. Approximately 4,100 companies provide data on more than 8,000 monthly flows of production.

Investors want to keep their finger on the pulse of the economy because it usually dictates how various types of investments will perform. The stock market likes to see healthy economic growth because that translates to higher corporate profits. The bond market prefers more subdued growth that will not lead to inflationary pressures. By tracking economic data such as industrial production, investors will know what the economic backdrop is for these markets and their portfolios. Like the PPI and the orders data, construction is excluded from the data. This report has a big influence on market behavior. In any given month, one can see whether capital goods or consumer goods are growing more rapidly. Are manufacturers still producing construction supplies and other materials? This detailed report shows which sectors of the economy are growing and which are not.