Durable goods orders increase way beyond expectations

New Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods in September increased $4.3 billion or 1.9 percent to $237.1billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up five consecutive months, followed a 0.4 percent August increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.8 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 3.4 percent. Transportation equipment, up four of the last five months, led the increase, $3.0 billion or 4.1 percent to $76.8 billion.

Shipments
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in September, up four of the last five months, increased $0.7 billion or 0.3 percent to $245.0 billion. This followed a 0.3 percent August decrease. Transportation equipment, also up four of the last five months, led the increase, $0.4 billion or 0.5 percent to $82.0 billion. 

Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in September, down six of the last seven months, decreased $2.6 billion or 0.2 percent to $1,075.7 billion. This followed a 0.6 percent August decrease. Transportation equipment, down seven consecutive months, drove the decrease, $5.2 billion or 0.7 percent to $722.0 billion.

Inventories 

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in September, up following three consecutive monthly decreases, increased $1.6 billion or 0.4 percent to $422.1 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent August decrease. Transportation equipment, up twenty-four of the last twenty-five months, led the increase, $1.0 billion or 0.7 percent to $147.9 billion.

Capital Goods
Nondefense new orders for capital goods in September increased $6.6 billion or 10.4 percent to $69.7 billion. Shipments increased less than $0.1 billion or 0.1 percent to $70.2 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $0.4 billion or 0.1 percent to $593.5 billion. Inventories increased $0.7 billion or 0.4 percent to $193.8 billion. Defense new orders for capital goods in September decreased $3.0 billion or 22.3 percent to $10.3 billion. Shipments decreased $0.1 billion or 0.7 percent to $12.1 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $1.8 billion or 1.0 percent to $179.5 billion. Inventories increased $0.3 billion or 1.2 percent to $21.5 billion.

Revised August Data
Revised seasonally adjusted August figures for all manufacturing industries were: new orders, $469.6 billion (revised from $470.1 billion); shipments, $481.1 billion (revised from $481.3 billion); unfilled orders, $1,078.3 billion (revised from $1,078.6 billion) and total inventories, $686.7 billion (revised from $686.6 billion).