Computer-Product Shipments RiseComputer-Product Shipments Rise

Shipments of computer products rose 2.5% in April, reversing months of decline and indicating that a recovery is under way in the high-tech sector, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

Overall, new orders for all durable goods--those expected to last three or more years--rose 1.1% last month, with shipments growing at a healthy 3.5%. Though new orders for computer products last month dipped by 0.3%, it was the smallest decline this year. Unfilled orders for computers remained flat from March; in earlier months unfilled orders had been declining. Computer makers shrank their inventories in April, declining 1.7% vs. a 0.1% drop a month earlier. Unfilled orders for all durable goods declined 0.5% in April and total inventories fell 0.3%.