Factory orders, pending home sales slide in January

[BR_Parkway]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060306/bs_nm/economy_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New orders at U.S. factories in January posted the largest drop since 2000 as aircraft orders fell, while pending sales of U.S. homes slipped as the housing market slowed, reports showed on Monday.

Factory orders fell 4.5 percent in January, slightly less than expected but still the biggest drop since July 2000, as orders for durables, machinery, computers, and aircraft fell, a
Commerce Department report showed.

Analysts polled by Reuters were expecting factory orders to fall 5.3 percent.

Orders for durable goods, expensive items meant to last three years or more, fell 9.9 percent, the steepest decline since a 14.2 percent drop in July 2000. However, the decline in durables was revised up from a 10.2 percent drop reported February 24.

[AndyA]

1. Oh, no! Economic problems during an election year!

We all know what that means...buh-bye, Repugs.

Message to Repugs: Retire now, get the best vacation homes before all your peers buy them up!

[MADem]

3. What's next??? GERALD FORD's Whip Inflation Now (WIN)???

That was a real hit....not!

[MadMaddie]

2. This is just the beginning.....

[Lindsay]

4. How soon before they change the way

they report these numbers?

[BR_Parkway]

5. Well, they drop the M3(?) report at the end of the month.

But it's all good - AT&T is buying BellSouth - 10,000 jobs to be cut - watch the profitability soar (well, for this quarter at least)