The U.S. Census Bureau announces the April advance report on durable goods manufacturers’ shipments, inventories and orders: New Orders – New orders for manufactured durable goods in April increased $1.2 billion or 0.4 percent to $265.3 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up six of the last seven months, followed a 0.6 percent March increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.3 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 0.3 percent. Transportation equipment, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, led the increase, $0.6 billion or 0.6 percent to $86.7 billion. Shipments – Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, up eleven of the last twelve months, increased $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent to $264.3 billion. This followed a 1.4 percent March increase. Primary metals, up four of the last five months, led the increase, $0.2 billion or 0.9 percent to $20.9 billion. Unfilled Orders – Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up twenty consecutive months, increased $5.9 billion or 0.5 percent to $1,106.7 billion. This followed a 0.5 percent March increase. Transportation equipment, up fourteen of the last fifteen months, led the increase, $4.2 billion or 0.7 percent to $637.2 billion. Inventories – Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, up fifteen consecutive months, increased $3.6 billion or 0.8 percent to $479.4 billion. This followed a 0.9 percent March increase. Transportation equipment, up five of the last six months, led the increase, $1.1 billion or 0.7 percent to $157.0 billion. Capital Goods – Nondefense new orders for capital goods in April increased $0.4 billion or 0.4 percent to $83.4 billion. Shipments increased $0.5 billion or 0.6 percent to $78.4 billion. Unfilled orders increased $5.0 billion or 0.8 percent to $620.2 billion. Inventories increased $1.0 billion or 0.5 percent to $210.1 billion. Defense new orders for capital goods in April increased $0.3 billion or 2.5 percent to $13.4 billion. Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 1.6 percent to $13.6 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to $185.8 billion. Inventories increased $0.2 billion or 0.7 percent to $22.2 billion. Revised and Recently Benchmarked March Data – Revised seasonally adjusted March figures for all manufacturing industries were: new orders, $531.2 billion (revised from $531.4 billion); shipments, $531.0 billion (revised from $530.6 billion); unfilled orders,
$1,100.8 billion (revised from $1,101.4 billion) and total inventories, $781.6 billion (revised from $780.7 billion).