Durable goods orders in February exceeded expectations, with a 0.9% increase to $289.3 billion. Key categories like auto orders and computer orders saw significant growth, while core capital goods orders experienced a slight decline. Overall, business investment remains strong despite economic uncertainties.
Key Points
Businesses continued to invest heavily in big-ticket items
Significant growth in auto and computer orders
Core capital goods orders down slightly, but still up year-to-date
Little evidence of hoarding goods ahead of tariffs
Pros
Durable goods orders exceeded expectations
Robust gains in key categories like auto and computer orders
Core capital goods orders still up by 7.3% year-to-date
Cons
Core capital goods orders experienced a slight decline
Orders for non-defense aircraft and parts fell by 5.0% in February