Orders for U.S. Durable Goods Were Little Changed in August

A worker removes slag, a stony waste substance created from the smelting process, from molten metal in a ladle at a castings facility in Salem, Ohio.

Photographer: Ty Wright/Bloomberg
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Orders for U.S. durable goods were little changed in August and shipments of capital equipment declined for a fourth straight month, indicating lingering weakness in manufacturing.

The latest reading for bookings of goods meant to last at least three years followed a 3.6 percent advance the prior month that was less than initially reported, Commerce Department data showed Wednesday in Washington. Sales of non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, used in calculating gross domestic product, unexpectedly dropped 0.4 percent last month.