Richmond Fed manufacturing index improves

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
The Richmond Federal Reserve said manufacturing activity in its six-state region increased in January, mirroring improvements seen in similar regional indexes
The bank said its current-activity index rose to 12 from 3, with most companies expecting business to improve over the next six months
The new-orders index doubled to 14 from 7 and the hiring index climbed 3 points to 20
 In addition, the index measuring expected orders over the next six months rose 11 points to 32
 The Richmond Fed's region stretches from Maryland to South Carolina