Durable-goods orders drop 6.1% in January on fewer airplane contracts

Story developing. Stay tuned for updates here. The numbers: Orders for durable or long-lasting goods sank 6.1% in January, but the decline was exaggerated by a brief lull in orders for Boeing passenger planes.Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a 5% decline.New orders fell by a mild 0.3% last month if planes and cars are stripped out. Orders minus transportation give a more accurate view of how well businesses are performing. A key measure of business investment, meanwhile,