New orders for U.S. made durable goods increased less than expected in April, after businesses slowed down their pace of spending on equipment as they deal with rising interest rates and tightening financial conditions, according to a U.S. Census report released by the Commerce Department on May 25.
The government report said that durable goods orders rose by 0.4 percent in April, which was the second weakest reading in seven months after a 0.6 percent gain in March.
Economists last month had forecast at 0.6 percent in durable goods orders compared to the 1.1 percent jump that had been expected for March.
The increase in durable goods orders was led by a rebound in orders for transportation equipment, which rose again by 0.6 percent in April after falling 0.3 percent in March….