WASHINGTON (AFP) -- U.S. industrial production fell by 0.1 percent in August after an upwardly revised 0.4 percent increase in July.

A Federal Reserve report measuring the output of U.S. factories, mines and utilities was consistent with indications of a cooling of the world's biggest economy.

But it a surprise to Wall Street analysts, who had predicted on average a gain of 0.2 percent for the month.

Output is up 4.7 percent year-over-year.

Manufacturing output was unchanged in August after a revised 0.4 percent gain in July.

The output at utilities fell 0.8 percent in August, as temperatures returned to normal levels.

Production at mines moved down 0.3 percent after increasing in the previous four months, the Fed said.

Capacity utilization for total industry -- a key gauge of slack in the industrial economy -- fell to 82.4 percent in August from 82.7 the prior month.

Even so, the utilization rate was more than two percentage points above its level in August 2005 and 1.4 percentage points above its 1972-2005 average.