CoinWorld reports that U.S. orders for core manufactured capital goods rose in September, while shipments of related products surged, indicating that business equipment spending continued to grow strongly in the third quarter. The U.S. Census Bureau said Tuesday that orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft rose 0.5% in September, following an unrevised 1.6% increase in August. Economists had expected a 0.7% increase. Shipments of core capital goods, used to calculate the equipment-spending component of GDP, jumped 1.2% in September, up from a 0.6% increase in August. Driven by major investments in AI, business equipment spending has grown at a double-digit pace for two consecutive quarters, providing important support for manufacturing and the broader economy. Economists expect the preliminary third-quarter GDP report, due from the U.S. government on Thursday, to show annualized economic growth of more than 3.0%. However, investors are increasingly focused on the rising costs of long-term projects, as the returns on those investments remain uncertain.