New orders for manufactured goods in April, down three of the last four months, decreased $2.9 billion or 0.6% to $466.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. This followed a 2.1% March decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 1.1%.

Shipments, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $1.5 billion or 0.3% to $473.2 billion. This followed a 0.1% March increase.

Unfilled orders, down following twenty-seven consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.8 billion or 0.1% to $985.4 billion. This followed a slight March increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 6.33, up from 6.29 in March.

Inventories, up twenty-two of the last twenty-three months, increased $0.1 billion to $607.2 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.1% March increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.28, unchanged from March.

New Orders for Manufactured Durable Goods

New orders for manufactured durable goods in April, down three of the last four months, decreased $0.1 billion to $215.2 billion, revised from the previously published 0.2% increase. This followed a 3.7% March decrease.

Machinery, also down three of the last four months, had the largest decrease, $0.9 billion or 2.9% to $31.0 billion.

New orders for manufactured nondurable goods decreased $2.9 billion or 1.1% to $250.8 billion.

Shipments of Manufactured Durable Goods

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, up four of the last five months, increased $1.4 billion or 0.6% to $222.5 billion, revised from the previously published 0.7% increase. This followed a 0.9% March increase.

Transportation equipment, also up four of the last five months, had the largest increase, $1.9 billion or 3.1% to $63.8 billion.

Unfilled Orders for Manufactured Durable Goods

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in April, down following twenty-seven consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.8 billion or 0.1% to $985.4 billion, unchanged from the previously published decrease. This followed a slight March increase.

Transportation equipment, down two consecutive months, had the largest decrease, $1.6 billion or 0.3% to $566.5 billion.

Full Report on Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories and Orders – April 2012