Investing.com - U.S. durable goods orders rose unexpectedly in April, while core orders missed forecasts, official data showed on Tuesday.
In a report, the U.S. Commerce Department said that total durable goods orders, which include transportation items, climbed by a seasonally adjusted 0.8% last month, compared to expectations for a 0.5% decline.
Orders for durable goods in March were revised up to a 3.6% gain from a previously reported increase of 2.6%.
Durable goods are typically bulky or heavy products designed to last at three years, such as trains, computers or furniture.
Core durable goods orders, excluding volatile transportation items, rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in April, missing forecasts for a 0.3% gain. Core durable goods orders rose by 2.9% in March.
Orders for core capital goods, a key barometer of private-sector business investment, fell 1.2% last month, disappointing expectations for a 0.2% increase and after rising 4.7% in March.
Shipments of core capital goods, a category used to calculate quarterly economic growth, declined 0.4% in April, worse than forecasts for a 0.2% drop, after increasing 2.1% in the preceding month.
Following the release of the data, the U.S. dollar added to gains against the euro, with EUR/USD shedding 0.12% to trade at 1.3630, compared to 1.3636 ahead of the data.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open. The Dow 30 futures pointed to a gain of 0.35%, the S&P 500 indicated a rise of 0.3%, while the Nasdaq 100 signaled an increase of 0.4%.