New orders for manufactured durable goods increased 4.5 percent in August to $259.6 billion, following a 1.2 percent July decrease, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Transportation equipment drove the increase, rising 13.0 percent to $95.3 billion over the month. New orders, excluding the transportation sector, rose 0.1 percent.
Excluding defense, new orders decreased 2.6 percent.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods decreased 0.8 percent to $253.1 billion.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods decreased 0.4 percent to $407.0 billion, following 19 consecutive monthly increases. This followed a 1.2 percent July increase.
Read the Census release.
