New orders for products from U.S. factories rose in March by 1.4 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. That was an improvement from the 0.9 percent drop in February and the 2.3 percent drop in January. The increased demand is higher than the 0.2 percent average forecast from industry analysts. Of the March numbers, orders for nondurable goods - including food, paper, and petroleum - rose 2.6 percent. Orders for durable goods - big-ticket items intended to last more than three years - rose 0.1 percent.