Manufacturing Powers U.S. Rebound as Orders Rise: Economy

Orders poured into American factories in March, putting manufacturing at the center of a projected rebound in economic growth during the second quarter.

Bookings for durable goods, those meant to last at least three years, increased 2.6 percent, the biggest gain since November, a Commerce Department report showed today in Washington. The advance was broad-based, with makers of computers, machinery and metals among those benefiting.