EconoIndicators

Factory Orders At a Glance

• New Orders: $424.4 billion
• Monthly Change: Down 1.3%
• Shipments: $210.8 billion
• Monthly Change: Down 2.7%
• Inventories: $323.6 billion
• Monthly Change: Up 0.5%

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

Summary

New orders for manufactured goods in February, down two consecutive months, decreased $5.7 billion or 1.3 percent to $424.4 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 2.3 percent January decrease. Shipments, down two of the last three months, decreased $9.0 billion or 2.1 percent to $423.0 billion. This followed a 1.1 percent January increase. Unfilled orders, up thirty-three of the last thirty-four months, increased $7.5 billion or 0.9 percent to $822.4 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.8 percent January increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 5.50, up from 5.38 in January. Inventories, up twelve of the last thirteen months, increased $2.8 billion or 0.5 percent to $538.4 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.3 percent January increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.27, up from 1.24 in January.

New Orders

New orders for manufactured durable goods in February, down two consecutive months, decreased $2.5 billion or 1.1 percent to $212.3 billion, revised from the previously published 1.7 percent decrease. This followed a 4.4 percent January decrease.

New orders for manufactured nondurable goods decreased $3.2 billion or 1.5 percent to $212.1 billion.
Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, down three of the last four months, decreased $5.8 billion or 2.7 percent to $210.8 billion, revised from the previously published 2.8 percent decrease. This followed a 2.3 percent January increase.

Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, down two of the last three months, decreased $3.2 billion or 1.5 percent to $212.1 billion. This followed a slight January increase. This decrease was led by petroleum and coal products, which decreased $1.2 billion or 2.4 percent to $50.0 billion.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in February, up thirty-three of the last thirty-four months, increased $7.5 billion or 0.9 percent to $822.4 billion, revised from the previously published 0.8 percent increase. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.8 percent January increase.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in February, up seven of the last eight months, increased $1.6 billion or 0.5 percent to $323.6 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 0.5 percent January increase.

Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, up five of the last six months, increased $1.3 billion or 0.6 percent to $214.7 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 2.4 percent January increase. Petroleum and coal products led the increase, up $0.7 billion or 1.8 percent to $41.0 billion.

By stage of fabrication, February materials and supplies increased 0.4 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.5 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 1.1 percent in durable goods and 3.0 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods decreased 0.2 percent in durable goods and increased 0.4 percent in nondurable goods.

Source: Commerce Department, Census Bureau