(06-27-18) The U.S. Census Bureau announces the May advance report on manufacturers’ shipments, inventories and orders: New Orders – New orders for manufactured durable goods in May decreased $1.4 billion or 0.6 percent to $248.8 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down two consecutive months, followed a 1.0 percent April decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.3 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 1.5 percent.
Transportation equipment, also down two consecutive months, led the decrease, $0.9 billion or 1.0 percent to $86.1 billion. Shipments – Shipments of manufactured durable goods in May, down following nine consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to $246.9 billion. This followed a virtually unchanged April increase. Transportation equipment, down two consecutive months, drove the decrease, $0.5 billion or 0.6 percent to $82.1 billion. Unfilled Orders – Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in May, up six of the last seven months, increased $5.9 billion or 0.5 percent to $1,160.6 billion. This followed a 0.6 percent April increase. Transportation equipment, also up six of the last seven months, led the increase, $4.0 billion or 0.5 percent to $800.3 billion. Inventories – Inventories of manufactured durable goods in May, up eighteen of the last nineteen months, increased $1.1 billion or 0.3 percent to $403.0 billion. This followed a 0.3 percent April increase. Transportation equipment, up five of the last six months, led the increase $0.5 billion or 0.4 percent to $129.0 billion. Capital Goods – Nondefense new orders for capital goods in May decreased $1.6 billion or 2.0 percent to $77.1 billion. Shipments increased $2.3 billion or 3.0 percent to $76.4 billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.7 billion or 0.1 percent to $714.5 billion. Inventories increased $0.4 billion or 0.2 percent to $176.6 billion. Defense new orders for capital goods in May increased $1.7 billion or 15.1 percent to $13.3 billion. Shipments decreased $0.5 billion or 4.4 percent to $11.5 billion. Unfilled orders increased $1.8 billion or 1.2 percent to $147.0 billion. Inventories increased $0.1 billion or 0.5 percent to $22.4 billion. Revised April Data – Revised seasonally adjusted April figures for all manufacturing industries were: new orders, $496.0 billion (revised from $494.4 billion); shipments, $492.9 billion (revised from $492.8 billion); unfilled orders, $1,154.6 billion (revised from $1,153.1 billion) and total inventories, $666.9 billion (unchanged).