A gauge of future business investment rebounded and new orders for U.S. manufactured goods rose in the month of December. These developments indicate that the U.S. economy ended the year with more momentum than previously thought.

Other reports showed new claims for jobless benefits rose only moderately a few weeks ago and suggested that the labor market was still healing, while new U.S. single-family home sales unexpectedly fell in December.

The data from Commerce Department showed orders for durable goods climbed 3.0 percent in December, which was likely boosted by a surge in orders at aircraft builders such as Boeing. The report also showed that U.S. companies may be growing more willing to invest the $2 trillion pile of cash they amassed in recent years.

"What it does tell you about going into the new year is that there's some momentum here," said Jacob Oubina, an economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York.

The Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 377,000.

"We're still very much established below 400,000, continuing to suggest that there is modest improvement in the labor market," said Lindsey Piegza, an economist at FTN Financial in New York.