Reuters (03/26/14) Lucia Mutikani

Orders for durable goods rose in February and shipments improved after two months of declines, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Durable goods orders rose 2.2% as demand for both long-lasting consumer products and aircraft rose, after falling 1.3% in January. Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast a 1.0% increase. However, non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, which hint at business spending plans, declined 1.3% in February after increasing a revised 0.8% in January. Economists had forecast an increase of 0.7%.

Dow Jones Business News (03/25/14) Cynthia Lin

Factory activity in the southern mid-Atlantic region declined in March, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The current business conditions index declined to -7 this month from -6 in February, marking an eight-month low. Figures above zero signal expansion.

The region’s manufacturing subindexes also declined. The shipment index fell to -9 this month from -6 in February, also marking an eight-month low. The new orders index held at -9.

Meanwhile, demand for labor remained weak. The employment index held at zero, while the workweek index recovered just slightly to 2 from -5.

MarketWatch (03/26/14) Laura He

St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank president James Bullard said yesterday that the U.S. joblessness rate likely will drop below 6% by the end of the year. He said unemployment has declined more quickly than anticipated, which is a good sign for the economy and the labor market.