(12-21-18)
The U.S. Census Bureau announces the November advance report on manufacturers’ shipments, inventories and orders: New Orders – New orders for manufactured durable goods in November increased $1.9 billion or 0.8 percent to $250.8 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, followed a 4.3 percent October decrease.
Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.3 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 0.1 percent. Transportation equipment, up three of the last four months, drove the increase, $2.5 billion or 2.9 percent to $87.0 billion. Shipments -Shipments of manufactured durable goods in November, up three of the last four months, increased $1.8 billion or 0.7 percent to $256.7 billion. This followed a 0.4 percent October decrease. Transportation equipment, also up three of the last four months, led the increase, $1.8 billion or 2.0 percent to $89.5 billion. Unfilled Orders Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in November, down two consecutive months, decreased $1.7 billion or 0.1 percent to $1,181.7 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent October decrease. Transportation equipment, also down two consecutive months, drove the decrease, $2.5 billion or 0.3 percent to $812.4 billion. Inventories – Inventories of manufactured durable goods in November, up twenty‐two of the last twenty‐three months, increased $1.1 billion or 0.3 percent to $412.8 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent October increase. Primary metals, up twenty‐four of the last twenty‐five months, led the increase, $0.3 billion or 0.9 percent to $36.1 billion. Capital Goods – Nondefense new orders for capital goods in November increased $0.5 billion or 0.7 percent to $75.4 billion. Shipments increased $1.9 billion or 2.4 percent to $79.6 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $4.2 billion or 0.6 percent to $710.6 billion. Inventories increased $0.1 billion or virtually unchanged to $180.5 billion. Defense new orders for capital goods in November increased $1.8 billion or 15.4 percent to $13.9 billion. Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 1.7 percent to $11.9 billion. Unfilled orders increased $2.0 billion or 1.3 percent to $156.0 billion. Inventories decreased less than $0.1 billion or virtually unchanged to $22.8 billion. Revised October Data – Revised seasonally adjusted October figures for all manufacturing industries were: new orders, $502.7 billion (unchanged); shipments, $508.6 billion (revised from $508.4 billion); unfilled orders, $1,183.4 billion (revised from $1,183.6 billion) and total inventories, $682.1 billion (revised from $681.7 billion).
