Durable Orders Rise 1.1% in May

Durable goods orders rose 1.1% in May, the first gain in three months, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. 

The upturn followed a revised 0.2% decline in April that was originally reported as unchanged.

The May increase was higher than economists’ forecast of a 0.5% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Excluding transportation orders, which tend to be volatile, bookings rose 0.4%. Non-defense orders excluding aircraft increased 1.6%.

Durable goods include large items like refrigerators and air conditioners. Trucking is a major beneficiary of durable goods manufacturing, hauling both components and finished goods.