EconoIndicators

Factory Orders At a Glance

• New Orders: $420.7 billion
• Monthly Change: Up 0.7%
• Shipments: $211.5 billion
• Monthly Change: Down 2.1%
• Inventories: $313.8 billion
• Monthly Change: Up 0.4%

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

Summary

New orders for manufactured goods in September, up three of the last four months, increased $0.7 billion or 0.2 percent to $420.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 3.5 percent August decrease. Shipments, down three of the last four months, decreased $0.2 billion to $417.4 billion. This followed a 1.7 percent August decrease. Unfilled orders, up twenty-eight of the last twenty-nine months, increased $8.5 billion or 1.1 percent to $771.6 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.2 percent August increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 5.19, up from 5.06 in August. Inventories, up seven of the last eight months, increased $2.8 billion or 0.6 percent to $519.5 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.1 percent August decrease. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was unchanged at 1.24.

New Orders

New orders for manufactured durable goods in September, down two consecutive months, decreased $3.6 billion or 1.7 percent to $214.7 billion, unchanged from the previously published decrease. This followed a 5.3 percent August decrease.

New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $4.3 billion or 2.1 percent to $206.0 billion.
Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in September, down three of the last four months, decreased $4.5 billion or 2.1 percent to $211.5 billion, revised from the previously published 2.0 percent decrease. This followed a 1.9 percent August decrease.

Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up four of the last five months, increased $4.3 billion or 2.1 percent to $206.0 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.4 percent August decrease. Petroleum and coal products led the increase, up $4.2 billion or 10.6 percent to $44.2 billion.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in September, up twenty-eight of the last twenty-nine months, increased $8.5 billion or 1.1 percent to $771.6 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 1.2 percent August increase.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in September, up two of the last three months, increased $1.2 billion or 0.4 percent to $313.8 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 0.1 percent August decrease.

Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, up six of the last seven months, increased $1.6 billion or 0.8 percent to $205.6 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.1 percent August decrease. Petroleum and coal products drove the increase, up $1.8 billion or 5.4 percent to $35.6 billion.

By stage of fabrication, September materials and supplies decreased 0.4 percent in durable goods and increased 1.3 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 0.2 percent in durable goods and 0.8 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods increased 1.5 percent in durable goods and 0.5 percent in nondurable goods.

Factory Orders September 2007 [PDF]

Source: Commerce Department, Census Bureau