EconoIndicators

Factory Orders At a Glance

• New Orders: $445.2 billion
• Monthly Change: Up 1.1%
• Shipments: $443.9 billion
• Monthly Change: Up 2.2%
• Inventories: $545.7 billion
• Monthly Change: Down $100 million

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

Summary

New orders for manufactured goods in April, up two consecutive months, increased $5.0 billion or 1.1 percent to $445.2 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported
today. This followed a 1.5 percent March increase. Shipments, up three of the last four months, increased $9.6 billion or 2.2 percent to $443.9 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.1 percent March increase. Unfilled orders, up twenty-six of the last twenty-seven
months, increased $7.3 billion or 0.9 percent to $804.4 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 March increase. The unfilled orders-to- shipments ratio was 5.29, down from 5.30 in March. Inventories, down slightly following seven consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.1 billion to $545.7 billion. This followed a 0.9 percent March increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.23, down from 1.26 in March.

New Orders

New orders for manufactured durable goods in April, down three of the last four months, decreased $1.2 billion or 0.6 percent to $214.4 billion, revised from the previously published 0.5 percent decrease. This followed a 0.2 percent March decrease.

New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $6.2 billion or 2.8 percent to $230.8 billion.
Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $3.4 billion or 1.6 percent to $213.1 billion, revised from
the previously published 1.2 percent increase. This followed a 0.9 percent March decrease.

Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up two consecutive months, increased $6.2 billion or 2.8 percent to $230.8 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 3.1 percent March increase. This increase was led by petroleum and coal products, which increased $3.6 billion or 6.2 percent to $62.0 billion. Petroleum and coal products was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up twenty-six of the last twenty-seven months, increased $7.3 billion or 0.9 percent to $804.4 billion, revised from the previously published 1.0 percent increase. 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 March increase.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, up nine of the last ten months, increased $2.0 billion or 0.6 percent to $329.1 billion, revised from the previously
published 0.5 percent increase. 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.

Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, down following five consecutive monthly increases, decreased $2.1 billion or 1.0 percent to $216.6 billion. This followed a 0.9 percent March increase. Petroleum and coal products drove the decrease, down $2.6 billion or 6.4 percent to $38.9 billion.

By stage of fabrication, April materials and supplies increased 0.6 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.1 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process increased
1.3 percent in durable goods and decreased 3.2 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods decreased 0.2 percent in durable goods and 0.7 percent in nondurable goods

Source: Commerce Department, Census Bureau