WASHINGTON -- May orders to factories for manufactured durables were flat, ending a two-month slump, on demand for aircraft and computers, the Commerce Department said today.

Orders for durable goods -- items that are designed to last three or more years -- showed no change in May, after falling 1% in April and 0.2% in March.
For the month, computer equipment was up 10.1% and communications equipment was up 2.4%. The transportation sector was up 2.6%, with commercial aircraft orders up 10.3% and military planes and parts up 14.9%. Autos were down 3.3%.

However, some macro signs were troublesome. Orders for non-transportation sector durable goods fell 0.9%. And orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft fell 0.8%, reversing a 3.1% hike in April.