US Durable Goods Orders Fall Worse Than Expected

(MENAFN) Orders for durable goods in the United States fell more sharply than anticipated in February, sliding 1.4% to $315.5 billion, the US Department of Commerce disclosed on Tuesday — surpassing market projections of a 1.1% contraction.

The steeper-than-expected drop compounds an already fragile trend, following a 0.5% decline recorded in January, raising fresh questions about the health of American industrial demand heading into the spring.

The headline figure, however, masked pockets of resilience beneath the surface. Orders stripped of the volatile transportation component edged upward by 0.8% during the same period, suggesting underlying demand retained some degree of stability. By contrast, orders excluding defense expenditure retreated by 1.2%, pointing to softness in civilian-sector activity.

Durable goods orders — which track demand for long-lasting manufactured products ranging from machinery to electronics — serve as a closely watched barometer of industrial output and broader economic momentum, offering analysts an early window into the trajectory of US manufacturing activity in the months ahead.

MENAFN08042026000045017169ID1110955444