WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods fell a sharp 1.1% in February with demand in a key sector that tracks business investment also dropping. The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that orders for durable goods declined last month for the first time after nine consecutive monthly gains including a sizable 3.5% rise in January. The drop was larger than expected but likely was adversely effected by the severe winter storms that hit much of the country last month as well as continued supply-chain problems. The category that covers business investment dropped 0.8% in February.
Orders for manufactured goods tumbled 1.1% last month
