WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods fell by the largest amount in a year. But excluding the volatile transportation sector, orders posted their best showing in five months.
The Commerce Department says that orders for durable goods dropped 1.3 percent last month, reflecting a huge drop in aircraft demand. But when looking at orders without aircraft and autos, orders rose 2 percent. It reflected strong gains in demand for primary metals such as steel, heavy machinery and computers.
