Durable Goods Orders Drop 2.8% in February

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/business/economy/durable-goods-orders-drop-2-8-in-february.html?_r=0


Factory orders for long-lasting manufactured goods fell in February, with a main category that tracks business investment dropping by the largest amount since December.

Orders for durable goods fell 2.8 percent in February, which comes after a 4.2 percent increase in January, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Commercial aircraft, a volatile category, fell 27.1 percent after surging 48.6 percent in January.

The large drop in demand for commercial aircraft reflected weakness in orders at the airplane giant Boeing. Demand for military aircraft and parts fell 29.2 percent in February after a 97 percent surge in January.

Economists viewed the big decline in durable goods orders as evidence that manufacturing companies remain under pressure.