WASHINGTON (AP) – Orders to U.S. factories for long-lasting manufactured goods fell in February for the third time in the past four months, while a key investment category fell for a sixth month.
Orders for durable goods dropped 1.4 percent in February following a 2 percent increase in January and declines of 3.7 percent in December and 2.2 percent in November, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. A key category that serves as a proxy for business investment spending retreated 1.4 percent in February, the sixth consecutive monthly decline.
The weakness in February was widespread, with weaker demand for commercial aircraft, autos and machinery. Economists expect domestic demand to strengthen in the months ahead and hope that will be enough to offset weakness caused by a stronger dollar, which dampens export sales of U.S. companies.
Transportation orders were down 3.5 percent. Excluding transportation, durable goods orders dropped 0.4 percent. Demand for machinery and computers fell, while orders for communications equipment and appliances rose.
Economists believe that manufacturing orders will start to show improvement in the coming months following a stretch of weakness in the second half of last year. The end of winter and a labor dispute at West Coast ports, which caused supply disruptions, should be positive developments for a rebound in orders.