Rebound in durable-goods orders below expectations

Washington

ORDERS for long-lasting US manufactured goods rebounded less than expected in March. Slumping demand for automobiles, computers and electrical goods suggests that the downturn in the factory sector was far from over.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday that orders for durable goods - items ranging from toasters to aircraft, meant to last three years or more - increased 0.8 per cent last month after declining 3.1 per cent in February.

Non-defence capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business-spending plans, were unchanged after a downwardly revised 2.7 per cent decrease in the prior month. These so-called core capital goods orders were previously re…