CoinWorld.net - Message, orders for core capital goods in the US jumped 3.3% month-on-month in March, far exceeding market expectations. The US Census Bureau said on Wednesday that non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft rose to 3.3% month-on-month, above the market forecast of 0.5%, with the previous figure revised to 1.6%. Core capital goods shipments increased by 1.2% in March after a 1.3% growth in February. Business equipment spending was driven by a surge in artificial intelligence expenditure, boosting demand for information processing equipment. However, there are concerns that the potential war between the US and Iran could make companies more cautious about new capital investments. Economists expect that business equipment investment helped offset the further slowdown in consumer spending in the first quarter. A survey of economists by Reuters predicts that US GDP grew at an annualized rate of 2.3% in the first quarter.