2026.04.1014:23:17UTC+00US Factory Orders Stall for 2nd Month

New orders for manufactured goods in the US were flat in February 2026 at $619.6 billion, unchanged from the previous month and slightly better than market expectations for a 0.2% decline. The reading marked a second consecutive month of stagnation in factory bookings.

Orders for durable goods fell 1.3% to $315.9 billion, weighed down by a sharp drop in transportation equipment orders, which declined 5.3% to $106.3 billion. The weakness was concentrated in nondefense aircraft and parts, where orders plunged 28.6% to $19.2 billion.

This setback was partially offset by stronger demand in other major durable categories: machinery orders increased 1.7% to $41.2 billion, primary metals advanced 2.4% to $28.7 billion, and fabricated metal products rose 0.5% to $42.8 billion.

Meanwhile, orders for nondurable goods climbed 1.5% to $303.7 billion, helping to counterbalance the weakness in the durable goods segment.