Durable goods continue to rise, suggesting recession is bottoming

The nation's "green shoots" thesis remains intact. Durable goods unexpectedly rose 1.8 percent in May, propelled higher by orders for machinery and airplanes, the U.S. Commerce Department announced Wednesday.

Durable goods orders have now risen in three of the past four months. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected May durable goods orders to fall 0.5 percent. Durable goods orders increased a revised 1.8 percent in April.