EconoIndicators

Factory Orders At a Glance

• New Orders: $429.2 billion
• Monthly Change: Down 2.5%
• Shipments: $215.7 billion
• Monthly Change: Up 1.9%
• Inventories: $322.1 billion
• Monthly Change: Up 0.6%

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

Summary

New orders for manufactured goods in January, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $10.8 billion or 2.5 percent to $429.2 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 2.0 percent December increase. Shipments, up four of the last five months, increased $4.7 billion or 1.1 percent to $431.8 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.4 percent December decrease. Unfilled orders, up thirty-two of the last thirty-three months, increased $5.3 billion or 0.7 percent to $813.3 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 2.5 percent December increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 5.38, down from 5.44 in December. Inventories, up eleven of the last twelve months, increased $6.7 billion or 1.3 percent to $535.4 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.9 percent December increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was unchanged at 1.24.

New Orders

New orders for manufactured durable goods in January, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $11.5 billion or 5.1 percent to $213.2 billion, revised from the previously published 5.3 percent decrease. This followed a 4.4 percent December increase.

New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $0.7 billion or 0.3 percent to $216.1 billion.
Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in January, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $4.0 billion or 1.9 percent to $215.7 billion, revised from the previously published 1.8 percent increase. This followed a 0.3 percent December decrease.

Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up four of the last five months, increased $0.7 billion or 0.3 percent to $216.1 billion. This followed a 0.4 percent December decrease. This increase was led by food products, which increased $0.4 billion or 0.8 percent to $49.7 billion.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in January, up thirty-two of the last thirty-three months, increased $5.3 billion or 0.7 percent to $813.3 billion, revised from the previously published 0.6 percent increase. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 2.5 percent December increase.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in January, up six of the last seven months, increased $1.8 billion or 0.6 percent to $322.1 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 1.1 percent December increase.

Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, up four of the last five months, increased $4.9 billion or 2.3 percent to $213.3 billion. This was both the largest monthly percent increase and highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.6 percent December increase. Petroleum and coal products led the increase, up $2.9 billion or 7.7 percent to $40.4 billion.

By stage of fabrication, January materials and supplies increased 0.5 percent in durable goods and 3.3 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 1.4 percent in durable goods and 5.3 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods decreased 0.3 percent in durable goods and increased 0.5 percent in nondurable goods.

Source: Commerce Department, Census Bureau