Spending for residential construction was also up a healthy 1.1 percent, to an annual rate of $207.1 billion.
The fund said the world's economy was gathering steam, however, and would grow by a healthy 3.6 percent next year.
In the third quarter, it returned a healthy 12.7 percent.
Common stock offerings were up a healthy 19 percent from the same period a year ago, at $25.8 billion.
Manufacturing productivity, for example, rose by a healthy 4.8 percent.
But car sales for Jan. 1-10 rose a healthy 29.8 percent over a year ago.
Sales rose a healthy 10 percent at stores that had been open for more than a year.
Without this weakness, orders would have climbed a healthy 1 percent during the month.
Meanwhile, the economy is growing by a healthy 9.8 percent, virtually the same as last year.
For one, the radio industry is expected to increase its revenues a healthy 8 percent over the next five years.