EconoIndicators

Durable Goods At a Glance

• New Orders: $214.4 billion
• New Orders Change: Down 0.5%
• Shipments Change: Up 1.2%
• Unfilled Orders Change: Up 1%
• Inventory Change: up 0.5%
• Nondefense Capital Goods Change: Down 1.4%%

Technorati Tags: durable goods, manufacturers, orders, inventories

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

New Orders

New orders for manufactured durable goods in April decreased $1.0 billion or 0.5 percent to $214.4 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This was the third decrease in four months and followed a 0.3 percent March decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 2.5 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 0.3 percent.
Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $2.5 billion or 1.2 percent to $212.2 billion. This followed a 0.9 percent March decrease.
Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up twenty-six of the last twenty-seven months, increased $7.6 billion or 1.0 percent to $804.5 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.3 percent March increase.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, up nine of the last ten months, increased $1.7 billion or 0.5 percent to $328.6 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.0 percent March increase.

Capital Goods Industries

Nondefense

Nondefense new orders for capital goods in April decreased $1.0 billion or 1.4 percent to $74.4 billion.

Defense

Defense new orders for capital goods in April increased $0.4 billion or 4.8 percent to $8.8 billion.

Durable Goods Orders - April 2008 [PDF]

Source: Commerce Department, Census Bureau