U.S. factory orders post second straight monthly decline in February

WASHINGTON — New orders for U.S.-manufactured goods fell for a second straight month in February amid ebbing demand for civilian aircraft and there were signs that business spending on equipment remained weak in the first quarter.

Factory orders dropped 0.7% after decreasing 2.1% in January, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast orders falling 0.5%. Orders increased 3.0% on a year-on-year basis in February.

Rising borrowing costs as the Federal Reserve fights high inflation have cooled demand for goods, which are typically bought on credit. Demand could come under pressure following the recent failure of two regional banks, which stressed the financial sector.

The Institute for Supply Management reported on Monday that its manufacturing PMI dropped in March to the lowest reading since May 2020. All subcomponents of the PMI fell below the 50 threshold for the first time since 2009.

Orders for transportation equipment fell 2.8% after diving 14.0% in January. Motor vehicle orders rose 0.8%, but were outpaced by a 6.6% plunge in bookings for civilian aircraft. Orders for machinery dropped 0.6%, while bookings for computers and electronic products edged up 0.1%. Orders for electrical equipment, appliances and components increased 0.7%.

Shipments of manufactured goods fell 0.5% after rising 0.3% in January. The inventory of manufactured goods at factories slipped 0.1% for a second straight month. Unfilled orders at factories dipped 0.1% after being unchanged in the prior month.

The Commerce Department also reported that orders for non-defense capital goods, excluding aircraft, which are seen as a measure of business spending plans on equipment, fell 0.1% in February instead of gaining 0.2% as reported last month.

Shipments of these so-called core capital goods, which are used to calculate business equipment spending in the gross domestic product report, slipped 0.1% instead of being unchanged as previously reported. Business spending on equipment contracted in the fourth quarter. (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci)