Orders for equipment, appliances, aircraft and other so-called durable goods fell 4.2 percent in March from February, .
It's the second decline in the past three months and the biggest monthly dip in three years. Much of the drop in March was due to a decline in orders for aircraft. "But companies also ordered less machinery and other equipment, a sign manufacturing output may slow," The Associated Press writes.
that "slowdowns in Europe and China may limit exports, while business investment cools after the strongest 10-quarter performance in a decade, leading to a slowdown in manufacturing."
, though, tells our Newscast Desk that he believes the economy "is still trending to the positive even though every once in a while we get a negative number."
We'll learn more about the economy later today from the Federal Reserve. It's due to release its latest policy statement at 12:30 p.m. ET, and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is due to take questions from reporters at 2:15 p.m. ET.
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