New orders for manufactured durable goods in September increased $19.6 billion or 9.9% to $218.2 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced. This increase, up four of the last five months, followed a 13.1% August decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 2.0%. Excluding defense, new orders increased 9.1%.

Transportation equipment, up five of the last six months, had the largest increase, $16.8 billion or 31.7% to $69.6 billion.

Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in September, up two of the last three months, increased $1.8 billion or 0.8 percent to $224.2 billion. This followed a 2.9 percent August decrease.

Transportation equipment, also up two of the last three months, had the largest increase, $0.8 billion or 1.3 percent to $64.7 billion. This followed an 8.0 percent August decrease.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in September, up three of the last four months, increased $1.6 billion or 0.2 percent to $980.8 billion. This increase followed a 1.7 percent August decrease.

Transportation equipment, also up three of the last four months, had the largest increase, $4.9 billion or 0.9 percent to $574.5 billion.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in September, up thirty-two of the last thirty-three months, increased $0.9 billion or 0.3 percent to $372.9 billion.

This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.6 percent August increase.

Transportation equipment, also up thirty-two of the last thirty-three months, had the largest increase, $0.4 billion or 0.4 percent to $112.6 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis.

Capital Goods

Nondefense new orders for capital goods in September increased $13.7 billion or 23.7 percent to $71.4 billion.

Shipments increased $1.0 billion or 1.4 percent to $70.1 billion. Unfilled orders increased $1.3 billion or 0.2 percent to $582.1 billion. Inventories increased $0.9 billion or 0.5 percent to $172.8 billion.

Defense new orders for capital goods in September increased $2.7 billion or 43.7 percent to $8.7 billion.

Shipments increased $0.4 billion or 4.7 percent to $8.5 billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to $165.8 billion. Inventories decreased $0.5 billion or 2.1 percent to $21.1 billion.