Durable goods orders declined by 1.7% in February (MarketWatch) (26-03-2008)

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - According to the Commerce Department, there was less call for machinery and other capital goods in February, and orders for durable goods fell by 1.7%. 

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected total orders to rise 0.5% after a revised 4.7% decline in January. 

Orders for capital goods - the kind of equipment businesses need to increase or modernize their productive capacity - fell 2.6% in February after a 1.8% decline in January. Machinery orders plunged a record 13.3% in February, offsetting a 5.4 increase in civilian aircraft bookings. Excluding transportation goods, orders fell 2.6%, the most in a year

 Source: MarketWatch