EconoIndicators

Factory Orders At a Glance

• New Orders: $420.7 billion
• Monthly Change: Down 3.3%
• Shipments: $417.9 billion
• Monthly Change: Down 1.6%
• Inventories: $516.6 billion
• Monthly Change: Down 0.1%

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PRELIMINARY REPORT ON MANUFACTURERS’ SHIPMENTS, INVENTORIES, AND ORDERS

Summary

New orders for manufactured goods in August, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $14.4 billion or 3.3 percent to $420.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 3.4 percent July increase. Shipments, down two the last three months, decreased $6.7 billion or 1.6 percent to $417.9 billion. This followed a 2.3 percent July increase. Unfilled orders, up twenty-seven of the last twenty-eight months, increased $9.1 billion or 1.2 percent to $763.5 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 2.3 percent July increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 5.06, up from 4.93 in July. Inventories, down following six consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.5 billion or 0.1 percent to $516.6 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent July increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.24, up from 1.22 in July.

New Orders

New orders for manufactured durable goods in August, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $11.2 billion or 4.9 percent to $219.3 billion, unchanged from the previously published decrease. This followed a 5.9 percent July increase.

New orders for manufactured nondurable goods decreased $3.2 billion or 1.6 percent to $201.4 billion.
Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in August, down two of the last three months, decreased $3.5 billion or 1.6 percent to $216.6 billion, unchanged from the previously published decrease. This followed a 4.0 percent July increase.

Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, down following three consecutive monthly increases, decreased $3.2 billion or 1.6 percent to $201.4 billion. This followed a 0.6 percent July increase. Petroleum and coal products led the decrease, down $3.1 billion or 7.4 percent to $39.5 billion.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in August, up twenty-seven of the last twenty-eight months, increased $9.1 billion or 1.2 percent to $763.5 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 2.3 percent July increase.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in August, down two of the last three months, decreased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to $312.7 billion, unchanged from the previously published decrease. This followed a 0.1 percent July increase.

Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, down following five consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent to $203.9 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent July increase. Petroleum and coal products drove the decrease, down $0.3 billion or 0.9 percent to $33.6 billion.

By stage of fabrication, August materials and supplies decreased 0.4 percent in durable goods and increased 0.8 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 0.4 percent in durable goods and decreased 1.1 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods decreased 0.3 percent in durable goods and 0.4 percent in nondurable goods.

Factory Orders August 2007 [PDF]

Source: Commerce Department, Census Bureau