WASHINGTON—Orders for U.S. business equipment climbed in October for the fourth month in the last five, indicating corporate investment may be starting to thaw.

WASHINGTON—Orders for big-ticket goods surged in January. The Commerce Department said Thursday that new orders of durable goods increased 4.9 percent last month, topping the median estimate of 2.9 percent that economists had been expecting.

WASHINGTON—Orders to U.S. factories for long-lasting manufactured goods rose in July. The Commerce Department said Wednesday orders for durable goods increased 2 percent in July after a 4.1 percent gain in June.

WASHINGTON—Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods posted a sizable gain in June, but the advance was fueled by higher demand for commercial aircraft. Outside of this volatile category, a key category that represents business investment rose by a far more modest amount.

WASHINGTON—Orders for big-ticket manufactured goods jumped to a record in July thanks to a surge in aircraft purchases, while underlying measures indicated broad momentum for business spending. Purchases of durable goods rose a seasonally adjusted 22.6 percent to $300.1 billion in July from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. That was the sharpest increase and highest level in records going back to 1992.

WASHINGTON—Driven by a 57.7 percent jump in demand for aircraft, new orders for manufactured goods rose 1.7 percent in September to hit $490.8 billion.

WASHINGTON—New orders for big-ticket U.S.-manufactured goods rose 4.2 percent in June, led by demand for aircraft. Orders for durable goods rose to $244.5 billion, an increase of $9.9 billion from May, the Commerce Department said. Analysts had predicted a much smaller 1.8 percent increase on average.

WASHINGTON—Orders for airplanes, computers and other long-lasting durable goods rose more than expected in May—3.6 percent—the third increase in four months and a sign of strengthening in the vital manufacturing sector.

WASHINGTON—Orders for the factory goods that signal business investment plans jumped last month by the most in more than a year, suggesting companies are confident about their business prospects. Orders for so-called core capital goods, which include industrial machinery, construction equipment and computers, rose 6.3 percent in January from December.

WASHINGTON—Orders for durable goods in the United States rose in December for an unprecedented fourth consecutive month, indicating manufacturing will keep improving in 2013.