Demand for U.S. Capital Goods Climbs Less Than Forecast

Orders for goods such as computers and machinery rose less than forecast in August, showing a pickup in U.S. business spending will take time to develop.

Bookings for non-military capital equipment excluding aircraft increased 1.5 percent after a 3.3 percent drop in July, the Commerce Department reported today in Washington. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg projected a 2 percent gain. Another report showed sales of new houses over the past two months were the weakest of the year.