New orders for US manufactured durable goods increased slightly in October to US$216.9B, rose 1.5% excluding transportation; inventories of manufactured durable goods, up 33 of last 34 months, rose 0.4% to US$374.4B, highest since 1992

Cindy Allen

WASHINGTON , December 5, 2012 (press release) – New orders for manufactured durable goods in October increased slightly to $216.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up five of the last six months, followed a 9.2 percent September increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.5 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 0.1 percent.

Machinery, up two consecutive months, had the largest increase, $0.9 billion or 2.9 percent to $30.9 billion.

Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in October, down two of the last three months, decreased $1.2 billion or 0.6 percent to $222.2 billion. This followed a 0.5 percent September increase. Transportation equipment, also down two of the last three months, had the largest decrease, $0.8 billion or 1.3 percent to $63.5 billion. This followed a 0.7 percent September increase.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in October, up four of the last five months, increased $2.3 billion or 0.2 percent to $982.5 billion. This increase followed a 0.1 percent September increase.

Transportation equipment, also up four of the last five months, had the largest increase, $2.9 billion or 0.5 percent to $576.6 billion.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in October, up thirty-three of the last thirty-four months, increased $1.6 billion or 0.4 percent to $374.4 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.2 percent September increase.

Transportation equipment, also up thirty-three of the last thirty-four months, had the largest increase, $1.2 billion or 1.0 percent to $113.9 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis.

Capital Goods

Nondefense new orders for capital goods in October increased $0.5 billion or 0.8 percent to $71.6 billion. Shipments decreased $0.3 billion or 0.5 percent to $69.9 billion. Unfilled orders increased $1.7 billion or 0.3 percent to $583.4 billion. Inventories increased $0.6 billion or 0.4 percent to $173.4 billion.

Defense new orders for capital goods in October decreased $0.6 billion or 7.1 percent to $7.8 billion. Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 2.4 percent to $8.4 billion. Unfilled orders  ecreased $0.6 billion or 0.3 percent to $164.9 billion. Inventories decreased slightly or 0.2 percent to $21.0 billion.

Revised September Data

Revised seasonally adjusted September figures for all manufacturing industries were: new orders, $474.0 billion (revised from $475.4 billion); shipments, $480.6 billion (revised from $481.3 billion); unfilled orders, $980.2 billion (revised from $981.0 billion); and total inventories, $615.6 billion (revised from $615.7 billion).

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