ECONOMY

Machine Tool Orders Rise: Orders for U.S.-made machine tools, considered a barometer of future industrial activity, reversed four straight monthly declines and posted a 49% gain in September, a trade group reported. The Assn. for Manufacturing Technology said machine tool orders climbed to $269.4 million from $181.4 million in August. September’s orders, however, were 2% below September, 1992, levels. Year-to-date orders were up 28% to $2.45 billion.