U.S. Durable Goods Orders Jump Much More Than Expected In April

(RTTNews) - Partly reflecting a jump in orders for commercial aircraft and parts, the Commerce Department released a report on Thursday showing that new orders for U.S. manufactured goods surged up by much more than expected in April.

The Commerce Department said durable goods orders shot up by 3.4 percent in April after climbing by an upwardly revised 1.9 percent in March.

Economists had expected orders to rise by just 0.3 percent compared to the 0.8 percent increase that had been reported for the previous month.

Excluding orders for transportation equipment, durable goods orders rose by a much more modest 0.4 percent in April after inching up by 0.1 percent in March. The increase matched economist estimates.