New orders placed with US factories for durable goods rose in February for the first time in three months, suggesting firms are somewhat optimistic about the direction of the economy. Bookings for all durable goods — items meant to last at least three years — increased 1.4%, following a downwardly revised 6.9% drop in January, Commerce Department figures showed Tuesday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 1% increase. Excluding transportation equipment, orders rose 0.5% after falling the previous two months.   The value of core capital goods orders, a proxy for investment in equipment that excludes aircraft and military hardware,...

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