the numbers orders for manufactured goods fell 1 in february because of less demand for passenger planes and new cars but business investment rose for the second month in a row in a sign the industrial side of the economy is still growing orders rise in an expanding economy and shrink in a contracting one they are still rising but at a slower pace compared to last year economists polled by the wall street journal had forecast a 03 drop in orders durable goods are products like cars appliances and computers meant to last at least three years big picture the industrial side of the economy has slowed since last year because of steep inflation and rising interest rates higher borrowing costs curtail demand for expensive manufactured goods and discourage investment manufacturers are still growing but further weakness would be a bad omen heavy industry is at the leading edge of the economy market reaction the dow jones industrial average djia and sp 500 spx were set to open sharply lower in friday trades