Roundup: Family Dollar sale / Durable goods / Student loans

Divesting: Dollar Tree agreed to a sale of its Family Dollar business to a consortium of private equity investors for roughly $1 billion, in a bid to unlock value and continue on its turnaround plans under fresh leadership. The discount-retail chain is set to be acquired by Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management, the company announced Wednesday. Read more from The Wall Street Journal. 

Unexpected rise: Orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods unexpectedly rose in February as businesses rushed to place orders for primary metals and fabricated metal products ahead of tariffs. The report from the Commerce Department on Wednesday also showed an increase in shipments of capital goods, suggesting that business spending on equipment rebounded in the first quarter. But rising economic uncertainty because of import duties continues to cast a shadow over manufacturing. Read more from Reuters. 

Past due: Around 9.7 million student loan borrowers became past due on their bills after the COVID-era payment pause expired, according to a new estimate by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. After the pause on federal student loan payments expired in September 2023, the Biden administration offered borrowers a 12-month “on-ramp” to repayment. Read more from CNBC.