Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods stateside dropped sharply in December, dragged lower by a big decline in demand for commercial aircraft.
The U.S. Commerce Department says orders for durable goods fell 3.4 percent in December following a 2.1% decline in November. The weakness was led by a 55.5% plunge in the volatile category of commercial aircraft.
The department also reported weakness in a number of areas, and a key category that serves as a proxy for business investment plans edged down 0.6% in December after a similar decline in November and a 1.8% fall in October.