New orders for manufactured durable goods increased 0.8 percent to $230.7 billion in March, following a 3.1 percent decrease in February, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The majority of the month’s increase was driven by a 2.9 percent increase in new orders for transportation equipment. Excluding transportation, new orders fell 0.2 percent.
New orders excluding defense fell 1.0 percent on the month, as orders of nondefense aircraft and parts and nondefense capital goods slipped. Nondefense aircraft and parts orders fell 5.7 percent to $9.6 billion, while nondefense capital goods orders fell 1.1 percent to $71.6 billion.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods, down three of the last four months, fell 0.5 percent to $237.0 billion, following a 1.0 percent decrease in February.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods were virtually unchanged at $394.1 billion, following a 0.3 percent decline in the previous month.
Read the Census release.
