New Orders for Durable Goods Up 1.9% in April: Advanced Report

New orders for manufactured durable goods in April increased $3.0 billion or 1.9 percent to $161.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced. This was the second increase in the last three months and followed a 2.1 percent March decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.8 percent. Excluding defense, new orders also increased 1.0 percent.
 
Transportation equipment, up three consecutive months, had the largest increase, $2.1 billion or 5.4 percent to $40.5 billion.
 
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, down nine consecutive months, decreased $0.3 billion or 0.2 percent to $174.2 billion. This was the longest streak of consecutive monthly decreases since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.9 percent March decrease.
 
Machinery, down four consecutive months, had the largest decrease, $0.7 billion or 3.1 percent to $23.0 billion.
 
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in April, down seven consecutive months, decreased $8.9 billion or 1.2 percent to $748.9 billion. This followed a 1.7 percent March decrease. Transportation equipment, down seven consecutive months, had the largest decrease, $4.9 billion or 1.1 percent to $438.8 billion.
 
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, down four consecutive months, decreased $2.6 billion or 0.8 percent to $327.0 billion. This followed a 1.7 percent March decrease. Primary metals, down seven consecutive months, had the largest decrease, $1.0 billion or 3.3 percent to $28.1 billion.
 
Nondefense new orders for capital goods in April decreased $1.0 billion or 2.0 percent to $49.5 billion. Shipments decreased $1.2 billion or 2.0 percent to $56.9 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $7.4 billion or 1.7 percent to $432.4 billion. Inventories decreased $0.1 billion or 0.1 percent to $143.0 billion.
 
Defense new orders for capital goods in April increased $2.0 billion or 23.2 percent to $10.8 billion. Shipments increased $0.2 billion or 2.1 percent to $10.2 billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.5 billion or 0.4 percent to $142.4 billion. Inventories increased $0.2 billion or 1.1 percent to $20.3 billion.