U.S. durable goods orders excluding defense were unchanged in March 2026, holding at a month‑over‑month decline of 0.3%, according to data updated on 4 May 2026. The indicator matched February’s -0.3% reading, signaling a second consecutive month of soft demand in core manufactured goods once defense-related volatility is stripped out.
The March figure, measured on a month‑over‑month basis against February, suggests that underlying investment in longer-lasting, non-defense goods has yet to regain momentum after slipping earlier in the year. With both February and March registering identical declines, the data point to a period of stagnation in this key gauge of business spending and industrial activity in the United States.
