Investing.com - U.S. durable goods orders rose unexpectedly in October, while core orders declined, painting a mixed picture over the strength of the economy, official data showed on Wednesday.
In a report, the U.S. Commerce Department said that total durable goods orders, which include transportation items, increased by a seasonally adjusted 0.4% last month, compared to expectations for a decline of 0.4%.
Orders for durable goods in September were revised to a decline of 0.9% from a previously reported drop of 1.1%.
Durable goods are typically bulky or heavy products designed to last at three years, such as trains, planes and automobiles.
Core durable goods orders, excluding volatile transportation items, declined by a seasonally adjusted 0.9% in October, disappointing forecasts for a 0.5% gain. Core durable goods orders rose by 0.2% in September.
Orders for core capital goods, a key barometer of private-sector business investment, fell by 1.3% last month, worse than expectations for a 0.8% increase and after falling 1.6% in September.
Shipments of core capital goods, a category used to calculate quarterly economic growth, declined 0.4% in October, disappointing forecasts for a 0.5% gain, after rising 0.4% in the preceding month.
EUR/USD was trading at 1.2491 from around 1.2477 ahead of the release of the data, while GBP/USD was at 1.5782 from 1.5776 earlier.
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was at 87.76, compared to 87.89 ahead of the report.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures pointed to a mixed open. The Dow futures pointed to a loss of 0.1% at the open, the S&P 500 futures fell 0.1%, while the Nasdaq 100 futures tacked on 0.1%.
Elsewhere, in the commodities market, gold futures traded at $1,198.90 a troy ounce, compared to $1,196.00 ahead of the data, while crude oil traded at $73.89 a barrel from $74.01 earlier.