Wall Street Journal (04/24/14) Josh Mitchell
Orders for durable goods rose by 2.6% in March, more than the 2.0% forecast by economists, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Orders were up by 3.6% from the same time last year. The March increase, the biggest since November, was influenced by an uptick in aircraft orders though demand was on the rise across the board, signaling that the economy is gaining strength following a long winter. Business orders of equipment and software are growing, as is spending on nondefense capital goods, not including aircraft.