U.S. Durable-Goods Orders Rose 2.6% in March

Transportation equipment, which clocked gains in four out of the past five months, drove March’s durable-goods increase

Sharon Nunn and

Josh Mitchell

April 26, 2018 8:31 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON—Demand for long-lasting U.S. factory goods rose in March due to increased aircraft orders, but an underlying proxy for business investment fell.

Orders for durable goods—manufactured products intended to last at least three years, such as stoves and industrial robots—increased a seasonally adjusted 2.6% in March from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected a 1.8% increase.

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