Durable Goods Orders Decline in February

Durable goods orders fell 0.9% in February, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The downturn followed a revised 3.6% gain in January that was bigger than reported.

The February decline was below analysts’ forecasts of a 1.2% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Orders excluding transportation equipment fell for a second month, dropping 0.6%, below the 2% increase forecast, Bloomberg said.

Durable goods include large items such as refrigerators and air conditioners. Trucking is a major beneficiary of durable goods manufacturing, hauling both components and finished goods.