Durable Goods Orders Rise 2.5% in February

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rders for durable goods rose 2.5% in February to $183.8 billion after falling 2.7% the month before, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

Excluding transportation equipment, orders declined 0.3% in February after increasing 0.6%.

A decrease in orders for durable goods, which are manufactured goods expected to last at least three years, will likely lower the amount of goods produced by U.S. factories for shipment by truck.

Bookings for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a proxy for future business investment, rose 1.1% last month after easing 0.3% in January. Shipments of all durable products climbed 0.8% last month after declining 1%.

Commerce also said orders for transportation equipment surged 9.9% after plunging 10.5% in January as bookings for motor vehicles and parts rose 5% and civilian aircraft orders jumped 33.8%

Orders for defense hardware increased 11.6 percent last month, after declining 9.1% in January.