Dow Set to Open Flat as Tariff Uncertainty Grips Markets
Orders for durable goods in the U.S. ticked up for a second consecutive month in February, helped once again by demand for transport equipment.
Total orders for goods made to last at least three years, such as automobiles, planes and electronic equipment, were 0.9% higher in February than in January, Commerce Department data said Wednesday.
That marked a slowdown from the 3.3% rise of January, though contrasts with the 1.0% decline expected by economists polled by The Wall Street Journal.
Transport-equipment orders drove the rise, increasing 1.5%, though nondefense aircraft and parts orders slumped 5% after nearly doubling in January on the back of plane orders.