Durable Goods Orders Increase 2.6% on Aircraft Contracts

Orders for durable goods, manufactured items expected to last three years or more, jumped 2.6 percent in March primarily driven by new contracts for Boeing airplanes. Orders for commercial aircraft and parts leapt 44.5 percent for the month, said the Commerce Department on Thursday. Excluding the volatile transportation category, new orders were flat for the month.

Core capital goods, orders stripped of defense and aircraft, fell 0.1 percent after a 0.9 percent increase in February. It was the third time in four months that core capital goods fell, causing some economists to worry about future business investment, especially in light of recent tax reform.