US durable goods orders rise
Durable goods orders in the US increased 2.9 per cent last month to their highest level since September 2008, boosted by a 228 per cent increase in bookings for aircraft, data from the US Commerce Department showed yesterday. Excluding transportation, however, orders unexpectedly dropped one per cent. March’s orders were revised up to 4.8 per cent from the 3.5 per cent rise previously reported.