Headline US durable goods orders rose 0.7% for March compared with expectations of a 1.3% gain for the month. The gain followed an upwardly-revised 2.3% increase for February to give a 3.4% annual increase. Underlying orders, excluding transport, declined 0.2% on the month compared with an expected increase of 0.4% for the month. The decline followed a slight upward revision for February to 0.7% and there was a 3.7% annual increase. Capital goods orders excluding aircraft increased 0.2% on the month with a 2.1% annual gain which was slightly below market expectations. Shipments rose 0.2% for March and have increased for four of the last five months. Unfilled orders increased 0.2% following a 0.1% gain for February while the increase in inventories was held at 0.1% for the month. The Federal Reserve was slightly more optimistic surrounding investment trends in the March FOMC meeting, although there is no evidence of a significant increase in capital spending despite an underlying increase in business confidence. The data overall is likely to have little short-term impact on monetary policy considerations. The dollar edged higher against the yen following the release, although ECB President Draghi’s press conference overshadowed the data as US Treasuries dipped into negative territory with 10-year yields at 2.32%.

Source