U.S. durable goods orders fall 5 straight months

U.S. durable goods orders fall 5 straight months

WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - New U.S. orders for long-lasting manufactured goods dropped 2.6 percent in December, falling for a fifth straight month, according to a report on Thursday that underscored the deepening economic malaise.

Durable goods orders for November were revised to show a decline of 3.7 percent, the Commerce Department said, which was previously reported as a 1.5 percent fall. For 2008, overall orders tumbled 5.7 percent, the second biggest decline since 2001, after rising 1.3 percent in 2007.

New orders excluding transportation dropped 3.6 percent in December, but transportation equipment rose 0.6 percent, while motor vehicles and parts plunged 5.2 percent.