(04-01-19)
The U.S. Census Bureau announces the February advance report on manufacturers’ shipments, inventories and orders: New Orders – New orders for manufactured durable goods in February decreased $4.2 billion or 1.6 percent to $250.6 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down following three consecutive monthly increases, followed a 0.1 percent January increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.1 percent.
Excluding defense, new orders decreased 1.9 percent. Transportation equipment, also down following three consecutive monthly increases, drove the decrease, $4.3 billion or 4.8 percent to $86.0 billion. Shipments – Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, up three of the last four months, increased $0.5 billion or 0.2 percent to $258.6 billion. This followed a 0.4 percent January decrease. Computers and electronic products, up four of the last five months, led the increase, $0.3 billion or 1.1 percent to $28.0 billion. Unfilled Orders – Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in February, down four of the last five months, decreased $3.6 billion or 0.3 percent to $1,177.6 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent January increase. Transportation equipment, also down four of the last five months, drove the decrease, $3.8 billion or 0.5 percent to $807.2 billion. Inventories – Inventories of manufactured durable goods in February, up twenty‐five of the last twenty‐six months, increased $1.3 billion or 0.3 percent to $418.9 billion. This followed a 0.5 percent January increase. Transportation equipment, up five of the last six months, drove the increase, $1.3 billion or 1.0 percent to $134.1 billion. Capital Goods – Nondefense new orders for capital goods in February decreased $5.0 billion or 6.3 percent to $74.5 billion. Shipments increased $0.5 billion or 0.6 percent to $78.9 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $4.4 billion or 0.6 percent to $705.7 billion. Inventories increased $0.5 billion or 0.3 percent to $183.6 billion. Defense new orders for capital goods in February decreased $0.4 billion or 3.4 percent to $12.2 billion. Shipments decreased $0.7 billion or 5.3 percent to $12.3 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $0.1 billion or 0.1 percent to $156.0 billion. Inventories decreased less than $0.1 billion or virtually unchanged to $22.9 billion. Revised January Data – Revised seasonally adjusted January figures for all manufacturing industries were: new orders, $499.9 billion (revised from $500.5 billion); shipments, $503.2 billion (revised from $503.1 billion); unfilled orders, $1,181.3 billion (revised from $1,181.9 billion) and total inventories, $686.1 billion (revised from $685.7 billion).