Wall Street Journal (03/25/15) Kate Davidson; Josh Mitchell

Orders for durable goods fell a seasonally adjusted 1.4% from January to February, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, a sign many U.S. companies remain wary of spending amid tepid global demand. Excluding the transportation category, orders dropped 0.4%, the fifth consecutive monthly decline. Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal had forecast overall orders would rise 0.2%.

Durable goods’ numbers are volatile and subject to large revisions, but the broader trend hints at softening demand. So far this year, overall orders have fallen 0.5% compared with the same period a year ago. Orders for January were weaker than earlier reported. Orders increased 2.0% instead of 2.8%, and orders outside of transportation that month fell instead of slightly increasing as first reported.