Durable Goods Orders Up 2.9%

The U.S. Census Bureau December advance report on manufacturers’ shipments, inventories and orders follows:

New Orders

New orders for manufactured durable goods in December increased $7.0 billion or 2.9 percent to $249.4 billion. This increase, up four of the last five months, followed a 1.7 percent November increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.6 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 2.2 percent. Transportation equipment, also up four of the last five months, led the increase, $6.0 billion or 7.4 percent to $87.2 billion.

Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in December, up seven of the last eight months, increased $1.5 billion or 0.6 percent to $246.8 billion. This followed a 1.3 percent November increase. Fabricated metal products, also up seven of the last eight months, led the increase, $0.5 billion or 1.5 percent to $33.5 billion.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in December, up four consecutive months, increased $6.9 billion or 0.6 percent to $1,144.1 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent November increase. Transportation equipment, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, led the increase, $6.0 billion or 0.8 percent to $775.9 billion.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in December, up 17 of the last 18 months, increased $1.3 billion or 0.3 percent to $406.5 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent November increase. Machinery, up 10 of the last 11 months, led the increase, $0.4 billion or 0.6 percent to $70.4 billion.

Capital Goods

Nondefense new orders for capital goods in December decreased $0.1 billion or 0.1 percent to $75.1 billion. Shipments decreased $0.3 billion or 0.4 percent to $74.3 billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.9 billion or 0.1 percent to $707.3 billion. Inventories increased $0.4 billion or 0.2 percent to $180.9 billion. Defense new orders for capital goods in December increased $2.1 billion or 19.5 percent to $12.8 billion. Shipments decreased less than $0.1 billion or 0.2 percent to $11.1 billion. Unfilled orders increased $1.7 billion or 1.2 percent to $143.8 billion. Inventories increased $0.2 billion or 0.7 percent to $23.2 billion.

Revised seasonally adjusted November figures for all manufacturing industries were: new orders, $489.6 billion (revised from $488.1 billion); shipments, $492.5 billion (revised from $491.2 billion); unfilled orders, $1,137.2 billion (revised from $1,137.1 billion) and total inventories, $665.2 billion (revised from $665.1 billion).