31.   Meanwhile, corporate profits have been falling, factory production declining and consumer confidence dropping sharply.

32.   More recent figures for February, published Friday by the National Association of Purchasing Management, showed weakness in factory production and hiring.

33.   Optimax, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, makes supply-chain management software used to make factory production more efficient.

34.   Other reports issued Tuesday showed strength in the housing sector and in factory production.

35.   Recent data on unemployment claims and factory production have offered tantalizing hints that the recession is almost over.

36.   Rockwell makes automated systems that control factory production systems, semiconductor chips, and airplane avionics components.

37.   So the profit of automakers tends to track their factory production quite closely.

38.   That adjustment has not ended, but is moderating, meaning that factory production is increasing to come more closely into line with sales.

39.   The company makes machine vision systems to check for errors in factory production.

40.   The dollar rose against the yen and other major currencies after reports on U.S. consumer prices and factory production showed the economy is still growing without generating much inflation.