New orders for durable goods fell in January, according to a report released moments ago by the US Census Bureau. The decline was $0.1 billion, meaning it showed virtually no change, reaching $321.2 billion. This marks a decrease in three of the last four months, following a revised 0.9% drop in December. Expectations had been for a 1.1% increase. In contrast, core orders, excluding transportation, rose 0.4% in January, compared to a 1% increase in December (expectations were 0.5%).

Specifically, new orders excluding defense rose by approximately 0.5%, with the transportation equipment sector being the main driver of this decline. New orders for this sector fell by $1 billion, a 0.9% decrease, to $113.3 billion.