WASHINGTON—New orders for key U.S.–manufactured capital goods increased by the most in five months in January while shipments of those so-called core goods rebounded, suggesting that business spending on equipment picked up at the start of the first quarter. Some of the larger-than-expected rise in core capital goods orders reported by the Commerce Department on…

WASHINGTON—New orders for U.S.–made capital goods rose moderately in November while shipments fell, pointing to a slowdown in business spending on equipment this quarter as higher borrowing costs cool demand for goods. Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, rose 0.2 percent last month, the Commerce Department…

WASHINGTON—New orders for U.S.–made capital goods increased in July, but the pace slowed from the prior month, suggesting that business spending on equipment could struggle to rebound after contracting in the second quarter. Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, rose 0.4 percent last month, the Commerce…