Durable goods orders in the United States increased by 2.9% in August compared to the previous month, amounting to $312.1 billion, according to a report published by the Census Bureau on Thursday. The rise was led by orders of transportation equipment, which jumped 7.9%. Excluding transportation, new orders added 0.4% month-on-month. Excluding defense, they were up by 1.9%. Meanwhile, shipments of durable goods declined by 0.2% to $307.5 billion. (full story)