Investing.com - U.S. orders for long lasting manufactured goods rose less than forecast in March, while core orders unexpectedly fell, according to official data released on Tuesday.
Total durable goods orders, which include transportation items, rose 0.8% last month, the Commerce Department said, compared to economists' expectations for a increase of 1.8%.
February's orders were revised down to show a decrease of 3.1% from a previously reported 3.0% decline.
Durable goods are typically bulky or heavy products designed to last at three years, such as trains, planes and automobiles.
Core durable goods orders, which exclude volatile transportation items, slipped 0.2% last month, compared to forecasts for a 0.5% increase.
February's core durable goods orders had showna 1.3% decline.
Immediately after the release, the dollar extended losses. EUR/USD was trading at 1.1312 from around 1.1286 ahead of the publication; GBP/USD was at 1.4599 from 1.4565 earlier; while USD/JPY was at 110.92 from 111.11 earlier.
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was at 94.35, compared to 94.55 ahead of the report.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures pointed to a slightly higher open. The Dow futures gained 36 points, or 0.18%, the S&P 500 futures rose 4 points, or 0.17%, while the Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 4 points, or 0.10%.
Elsewhere, in the commodities market, gold futures traded at $1,235.95 a troy ounce, compared to $1,233.20 ahead of the data, while crude oil traded at $43.09 a barrel from $42.98 earlier.