Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods dipped in January, pulled down by decreased demand for cars, auto parts and military aircraft. The Commerce Department said Thursday that orders for durable goods slipped 0.2% last month after climbing 2.9% in December. Excluding volatile transportation orders, durable goods orders rose 0.9%, fastest growth since April 2018. Economists had expected a bigger drop in overall orders for durable goods, which are items such as appliances and industrial machinery meant to last at least three years. Over the past year, the orders are down 2.3% and are flat excluding ... (full story)