Durable-goods orders tumble and show little sign of recovery among U.S. manufacturers

The numbers: Orders for durable or long-lasting goods sank 5.4% in October because of fewer contracts for Boeing passenger planes, but most other manufacturers also reported somewhat weaker demand.

Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal had forecast a 3.4% decline.

If airplanes and cars are stripped out, new orders were flat last month,…