New orders for manufactured goods in October, down two consecutive months, decreased $1.6 billion or 0.4% to $450.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 0.1% September decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.2 %.

Shipments, up five consecutive months, increased $2.6 billion or 0.6% to $455.4 billion. This followed a 0.3% September increase.

Unfilled orders, up eighteen of the last nineteen months, increased $1.8 billion or 0.2% to $885.9 billion. This followed a 0.6% September increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 6.07, down from 6.08 in September.

Inventories, up twenty four of the last twenty five months, increased $5.6 billion or 0.9% to $607.1 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.1% September increase. The inventories-to shipments ratio was 1.33, unchanged from September.

New Orders

New orders for manufactured durable goods in October, down two consecutive months, decreased $0.9 billion or 0.5% to $198.5 billion, revised from the previously published 0.7% decrease. This followed a 1.4 % September decrease.
 
Transportation equipment, also down two consecutive months, had the largest decrease, $2.5 billion or 5.1% to $47.2 billion.

New orders for manufactured nondurable goods decreased $0.7 billion or 0.3% to $251.5 billion.

Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in October, up five of the last six months, increased $3.2 billion or 1.6% to $203.9 billion, revised from the previously published 1.3% increase. This followed a 0.4% September decrease.
 
Transportation equipment, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, had the largest increase, $2.3 billion or 5.0% to $48.4 billion.

Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.7 billion or 0.3% to $251.5 billion. This followed a 0.9% September increase.

Petroleum and coal products, down two of the last three months, led the decrease, down $0.6 billion or 0.8% to $71.2 billion.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in October, up eighteen of the last nineteen months, increased $1.8 billion or 0.2% to $885.9 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 0.6% September increase.

Machinery, up twenty one consecutive months, had the largest increase, $1.6 billion or 1.3% to $117.3 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis and followed a 0.2% September increase.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in October, up twenty two consecutive months, increased $1.6 billion or 0.4% to $366.9 billion, revised from the previously published 0.5% increase. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis and followed a slight September increase. Transportation equipment, also up twenty two consecutive months, had the largest increase, $0.9 billion or 0.8% to $113.6 billion.

Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, up two consecutive months, increased $3.9 billion or 1.7% to $240.2 billion. This followed a 0.4% September increase. Petroleum and coal products, also up two consecutive months, led the increase, up $3.1 billion or 6.1% to $53.8 billion.

By stage of fabrication, October materials and supplies increased 0.2% in durable goods and 3.5% in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 0.8% in durable goods and 1.7 % in nondurable goods. Finished goods increased 0.3% in durable goods and 0.4% in nondurable goods.