(Finance) – US durable goods orders surprisingly increased in April.
According to Department of Commerce of the United States (Bureau of the Census), orders showed a monthly increase of 1.1% after the +3.3% of the previous month (data revised from a preliminary +3.2%). Consensus estimates pointed to a decline of 1%.
The the “core” figure, ie net of orders from the transport sector, is down by 0.2% and compares with the +0.3% of the previous month and the zero change estimated by analysts.
Excluding the defense sector, orders fell by 0.6%, after -3.2% previously (revised from +3.4%).