Durable order orders are reduced, a sign of slow moment in the fourth quarter

WASHINGTON – A decline in orders for long-lasting goods in October indicates that business investment is softening, a contradictory sign of economic growth in the fourth quarter.

Business investment, a strong place for the economy in the first half, moderated in the third quarter, and seems to have begun the fourth quarter at a low level. Concerns about a trade crisis, a decline in oil prices affecting energy investments and a stronger dollar that make American goods made pricier for foreign buyers seems to counteract …