Data delayed by the federal government shutdown shows U.S. factory orders rebounded by 1.4 percent in August, not enough to fully make up for an unrevised 1.3 percent decline in July and a 4.8 percent plunge in June. Still, it matched expectations in the Econoday survey of forecasters.

The uptick in orders came in as the Trump administration struck a series of trade framework agreements and extended its tariff truce with China. However, new orders excluding transportation rose by just 0.1 percent, following a 0.5 percent rise in July. They were up 0.9 percent excluding defense, nearly offsetting a 1.0 percent contraction in July.

Manufacturers' shipments saw a 0.1 percent contraction in August following a 0.9 percent increase in July and also dipped 0.1 percent excluding transportation compared to a 0.5 percent bounce in July.

With durable goods bouncing back by 2.9 percent in August, the consensus sees factory orders following suit with a 1.4 percent increase for August.

Factory orders represent the dollar level of new orders for both durable and nondurable goods. This report gives more complete information than the advance durable goods report which is released one or two weeks earlier in the month.

Investors want to keep their fingers 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 moderate growth which is less likely to cause inflationary pressures. By tracking economic data like factory orders, investors will know what the economic backdrop is for these markets and their portfolios. The orders data show how busy factories will be in coming months as manufacturers work to fill those orders. This report provides insight to the demand for not only hard goods such as refrigerators and cars, but nondurables such as cigarettes and apparel. In addition to new orders, analysts monitor unfilled orders, an indicator of the backlog in production. Shipments reveal current sales. Inventories give a handle on the strength of current and future production. All in all, this report tells investors what to expect from the manufacturing sector, a major component of the economy and therefore a major influence on their investments.