Companies boosted their orders for capital goods such as machinery and computers in February, in an encouraging sign that U.S. business is confident enough to support the economic recovery.</br></br>A key barometer of business investment -- orders for nondefense capital goods, excluding aircraft -- rose 1.1% last month, erasing part of a sharp drop in January, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.</br></br>Overall orders for durable goods -- long-lasting items ranging from semiconductor chips to semi-trailer trucks -- rose 0.5% to a seasonally adjusted $178.12 billion.</br></br>The uptick in capital-goods orders added to economists' hopes that rising business spending can help lead the recovery, compensating for cautious consumers and a moribund housing market.</br></br>So far, though, the pace of the business-sector expansion doesn't appear to be fast enough to drive a sharp economic rebound.