WASHINGTON—A steep drop in defense-related orders caused demand for long-lasting goods to decline in December, but underlying figures suggest the manufacturing sector is stabilizing. Orders for durable goods—products designed to last longer than three years, such as machinery or minivans—fell 0.4% from a month earlier to a seasonally adjusted $227.02 billion, the Commerce Department said Friday. The decline was unexpected....

Source: Wall Street Journal January 27, 2017 13:34 UTC