New orders for manufactured durable goods in August increased 1.0 billion or 0.4% to $232.8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This increase, up four consecutive months, followed an 11.7% July increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.4%. Excluding defense, new orders increased 0.7%. Machinery, also up four consecutive months, led the increase, $0.5 billion or 1.5% to $31.2 billion.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in August decreased 0.3% or 0.7 billion to $244.1 billion. Transportation equipment, down following three consecutive monthly increases, drove the decrease, $1.4 billion or 1.7% to $81.6 billion.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in August decreased 0.1% to $420.5 billion. This followed an 0.8 decrease in July.
Read the Census release.
