In March, new orders for core capital goods (nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft) were up 2.2 percent over February. The rise in new orders represents the largest month-over-month increase since November 2013. Shipments of core capital goods increased 1.0 percent in March compared with February. The rise in new orders and shipments suggests that business investment spending could be improving going into the second quarter. Compared with a year ago, new orders are up 3.5 percent.
