Investing.com - Orders to U.S. factories for durable or long-lasting manufactured goods fell sharply in December as the weak global economy continued to weigh on manufacturers.
Durable goods orders dropped 5.1% the Commerce Department said, far more than the 0.6% decline economists expected.
November's flat reading was revised to show a decline of 0.5%.
Excluding transportation, orders fell 1.2% in December and so-called core capital-goods orders fell 4.3%.
Durable goods orders have now fallen in four of the past five months, reflecting the pressures from a strong dollar and global economic weakness.