Durable Goods Orders in U.S. Probably Rose in April After Slump

Orders for U.S. durable goods probably increased in April after falling by the most in seven months as companies invested in aircraft and capital equipment, economists forecast ahead of a report today.

The 1.5 percent gain in bookings for goods meant to last at least three years would follow March’s 6.9 percent decline, the biggest since August, according to the median forecast from 78 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Orders excluding transportation equipment, which is a volatile component, may have risen 0.5 percent last month after dropping 2.9 percent in March.