U.S. construction spending edges up

U.S. investment in construction logged a 0.2 percent uptick in October, according to the U.S. Commerce Department, to an annual rate of $1.598 trillion. The increase comes after spending edged down by 0.1 percent in September to a revised rate of $1.595 trillion. That figure was revised upward from the 0.5 percent decline reported on a preliminary basis. Economists had forecast a 0.4 percent increase in October.