U.S. FEB DURABLE GOODS ROSE 6.0 PCT
New orders for durable goods
received by U.S. manufacturers rose 5.7 billion dlrs, or 6.0
pct, in February to 101.2 billion dlrs, the Commerce Department
said.
    Excluding defense, orders rose 3.8 pct, compared with a
revised January decline of 7.7 pct.
    In January, durable goods fell a revised 9.9 pct instead of
the previously reported 7.5 pct. Durables excluding defense
were reported originally as having fallen 9.9 pct in January.
    The Commerce Department on Monday revised orders statistics
for 1982 to 1986 to reflect more current inventory valuation
methods, and the February orders statistics are consistent with
the revisions, officials said.
    The February order increase was led by transportation
equipment, up 11.1 pct after an 18.0 pct decline in January.
    Orders for defense capital goods rose 48.9 pct to 6.9
billion dlrs, following a 38.8 pct decline in January.
    Non-defense capital goods orders fell 1.6 pct in February
to 26.3 billion dlrs after falling 8.7 pct in January, the
department said.
    Electrical machinery orders rose in February by 8.2 pct to
17.2 billion dlrs after falling 15.4 pct in January.
    Primary metals orders were up 13.9 pct to 8.4 billion dlrs
after a 20 pct decline in January, the department said.
    New orders for non-electrical machinery were up in February
by 3.9 pct to 16.6 billion dlrs after a three pct orders
decline in January.
 Reuter
