Orders to U.S. factories rose a surprising 1.3 percent in March with widespread gains in many industries offsetting a big drop in commercial aircraft.

Outside of the volatile transportation category, factory orders were up by the largest amount in more than nine years, further evidence that U.S. manufacturers are turning into the standout performers for this recovery.

The Commerce Department said that total factory orders rose 1.3 percent in March, much better than the 0.1 percent decline analysts had expected. Excluding transportation, orders were up a sizable 3.1 percent, the biggest gain since August 2005.