Falling aircraft sales pull down durable goods orders, but there's more to the story

Feb 27, 2024
"It's by no means anywhere near as awful as the headline number makes it look," one analyst says.
“We had this extraordinary circumstance of an airplane having its door ripped off in mid-air” that skewed overall durable goods data, says John Diamond of Rice University.
J. David Ake/Getty Images

Businesses are spending to boost productivity, regardless of higher interest rates

Dec 22, 2023
Some are doing well enough that they don't need to borrow in order to expand and improve.
Core capital goods, which are big, one-off investments to improve productivity and boost the bottom line, rose 0.8% last month.
PhynartStudio/Getty Images

Why durable goods orders reflect consumer demand

Jun 26, 2023
This week, the Census Bureau will report how many manufactured durable goods businesses ordered in May. Many manufacturers haven't been making as many products, but certain types of equipment are still in high demand.
Orders of computers have been rising lately, as businesses try to boost productivity through investments in tech during a tight labor market.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

What John Deere's strong earnings say about the farm economy

May 19, 2023
Solid earnings posted by the farm equipment maker show many farmers had cash to spend, but that's no guarantee for the year ahead.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, supplies of grain and oil seeds were low and prices soared, said Kristen Owen of Oppenheimer. Now, farmers can afford to make some investments. 
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Instruction manuals tell us more than how to use a product

May 29, 2018
They're the "supporting actress waiting in the wings," says the BBC's Helene Schumacher.
A view of one of Ikea's instruction manuals.
Ikea