The U.S. Census Bureau announces the August advance report on durable goods manufacturers’ shipments, inventories and orders: New Orders – New orders for manufactured durable goods in August, down two consecutive months, decreased $0.6 billion or 0.2 percent to $272.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease followed a 0.1 percent July decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.2 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 0.9 percent. Transportation equipment, also down two consecutive months, drove the decrease, $1.0 billion or 1.1 percent to $92.0 billion. Shipments – Shipments of manufactured durable goods in August, up fifteen of the last sixteen months, increased $2.0 billion or 0.7 percent to $272.1 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent July increase. Transportation equipment, up ten of the last eleven months, led the increase, $1.7 billion or 1.9 percent to $88.0 billion. Unfilled Orders – Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in August, up twenty-four consecutive months, increased $5.4 billion or 0.5 percent to $1,132.2 billion. This followed a 0.7 percent July increase. Transportation equipment, up eighteen of the last nineteen months, led the increase, $4.0 billion or 0.6 percent to $659.1 billion. Inventories – Inventories of manufactured durable goods in August, up nineteen consecutive months, increased $1.0 billion or 0.2 percent to $487.2 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent July increase. Machinery, up twentytwo consecutive months, led the increase, $0.4 billion or 0.5 percent to $84.3 billion. Capital Goods – Nondefense new orders for capital goods in August decreased $2.4 billion or 2.7 percent to $84.7 billion. Shipments increased $1.4 billion or 1.8 percent to $82.1 billion. Unfilled orders increased $2.6 billion or
0.4 percent to $638.4 billion. Inventories increased $0.7 billion or 0.3 percent to $213.5 billion. Defense new orders for capital goods in August increased $1.5 billion or 10.1 percent to $16.6 billion. Shipments increased $0.2 billion or 1.4 percent to $14.5 billion. Unfilled orders increased $2.1 billion or 1.1 percent to $188.1 billion. Inventories decreased $0.1 billion or 0.6 percent to $22.7 billion. Revised July Data – Revised seasonally adjusted July figures for all manufacturing industries were: new orders, $548.5 billion (unchanged); shipments, $545.3 billion (revised from $545.5 billion); unfilled orders, $1,126.8 billion (revised from $1,126.7 billion) and total inventories, $801.3 billion (revised from $802.0 billion).