April durable-goods orders edge up 0.2%

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
Orders for long-lasting goods edged up 0.2% in April, the second rise in three months after demand for cars and car parts picked up
The Commerce Department reported Thursday that durable-goods orders reached a seasonally adjusted $215.5 billion after dropping 3.7% in March
Economists polled by MarketWatch had anticipated a slight fall of 0.4% in April, and March's orders were revised to show a 3.7% drop instead of a previously reported 4% decline
Excluding transportation, orders fell 0.6%, the third decline in four months
Another closely followed element in the report showed weakness, as core capital-goods orders fell 1.9%
Core capital-goods orders have dropped in the first month of every quarter since the third quarter of 2008, according to economists at Citigroup