By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New orders for U.S. factory goods fell in April as demand for transportation equipment and other goods weakened, suggesting that manufacturing remained constrained by a strong dollar and spending cuts in the energy sector.
But the outlook for manufacturing and the broader economy got a lift from another report on Tuesday showing automobile sales in May on track for the quickest pace in more than nine years.
"The outlook for manufacturing is modestly positive. Demand from consumers and businesses is growing slowly. Households are gradually boosting their spending on manufactured goods," said Gus Faucher, a senior economist at PNC Financial in Pittsburgh.
New orders for manufactured goods slipped 0.4 percent after increasing 2.2 percent in March. Factory orders have declined in eight of the last nine months. Economists had forecast orders to be unchanged in April. Excluding the volatile transport component, orders were flat for a second straight month.
Manufacturing, which accounts for about 12 percent of the U.S. economy, has been hit by the dollar and lower crude oil prices, which are pressuring the profits of multinational corporations and oil-field firms.
Orders for transportation equipment fell 2.4 percent in April. There also were declines in orders for information technology equipment, computers and related products, and consumer goods.
Separate reports showed solid gains in auto sales in May as households bought a range of motor vehicles.
General Motors Co
GM said its sales had increased 3 percent last month. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Strong auto sales could boost May consumer spending, which was flat in April after households cut back on purchases of motor vehicles. A rebound in consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, is being eyed after slowing down sharply in the first quarter.
Consumer spending was sluggish even as households got a boost from cheaper gasoline and steadily rising wages.
CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC
There is cautious optimism that households will soon start utilizing some of their savings and help offset the drag on the economy from continued cutbacks in business spending.
Gross domestic product contracted at a 0.7 percent annual rate in the first three months of the year.
Federal Reserve board member Lael Brainard warned on Tuesday the economic weakness at the start of the year could be more than transitory, citing the dollar and sluggish business investment.
The dollar fell sharply against the euro on Tuesday on hopes that Greece would reach a deal with its creditors. Prices for U.S. government also fell, while U.S. stocks rose marginally.
The Commerce Department also said orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, which are seen as a measure of business confidence and spending plans, fell 0.3 percent in April instead of the 1.0 percent advance reported last month.
Shipments of these so-called core capital goods, which are used to calculate business equipment spending in the gross domestic product report, were revised down to show only a 0.5 percent gain in April instead of the previously reported 0.8 percent rise.
Lower oil prices prompted Schlumberger
Multinational corporations including Procter & Gamble Co
But there are signs the downturn could be nearing its end as the dollar rally fades, the supply chain normalizes after being disrupted by a labor dispute at West Coast ports and business spending outside the energy sector picks up.
A report on Monday showed factory activity rising for the first time in seven months in May and new orders increasing solidly.
"We are moving past the weakest period for energy-related capex ... which should be a positive development for the manufacturing sector," said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Paul Simao)
