US sees strong durable goods sales in August
US manufacturers booked strong sales of big-ticket durable goods in August, with orders for aircraft, computers, autos and communications equipment all rising, according to government data released Wednesday.
The increase was more than double what analysts were expecting but not enough to reverse a steep decline in July driven by volatile aircraft sales.
Sales of defense aircraft and other goods also swung low, weighing on the August number, according to the monthly data.
Still, the strong showing could boost GDP growth in the third quarter.
Total orders for durable goods rose 1.7 percent compared to July to $232.8 billion, a full percentage point above a consensus forecast for an increase of 0.7 percent, the Commerce Department reported.
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