U.S. orders for long-lasting or durable goods fell a seasonally adjusted 1.2% in September amid widespread
softness in the manufacturing sector. This was in line with market expectations. Booking in August fell 3% instead of 2.3%, revised Commerce Department figures show. The auto industry was one of the few bright spots again, with orders snapping back 1.8% after a decline in August. Bookings for commercial aicraft sank 35.7%, however.
Stripping out transportation, U.S. durable-goods orders slipped 0.4% last month. No change was predicted. Orders minus defense fell a larger 2%. Orders for core capital goods - a proxy for business investment - retreated 0.3% to mark the second straight drop. Yet shipments of core capital goods, a category used to help determine quarterly economic growth, rose 0.5% in September .
After the data, USD fell against its major rivals. Euro is currently being traded around 1.1070 level, Sterling is around 1.5340 area, while Aussie is at 0.7250 handle. Later today, Consumer Confidence figures are scheduled for a release.