Orders to U.S. factories rose for a third consecutive month in April, pushed higher by a jump in demand for military hardware, but a key category that signals business investment plans fell, the government said in a report Tuesday that generally pointed to strength in manufacturing and the broader economy. The Commerce Department reported that new orders rose 0.7 percent in April following a 1.5 percent increase in March and a 1.7 percent gain in February. Those advances followed two big declines in January and December, partly reflecting a severe winter. Factory orders excluding the volatile transportation category increased 0.5 percent in April as bookings for primary metals, electrical equipment, appliances, and capital goods rose. Orders for durable goods - expensive manufactured items expected to last at least three years - rose 0.6 percent, rather than the 0.8 percent initially reported last month. Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft - seen as a measure of business confidence and spending plans - fell by 1.2 percent in April, although the drop followed a 4.7 percent surge the previous month. The manufacturing sector is expected to continue growing, with a survey Monday showing new orders at U.S. factories in May at their highest level in five months.