New Orders for US-Made Goods Decline to $267 Billion in December

Source: US Census Bureau

New orders for US-manufactured durable goods retreated in December, following two straight months of growth.

• New orders stood at $267.6 billion in December, down by $2.4 billion or 0.9% from the previous month. This follows the growth recorded in October and November.
• New orders for the month of November were revised to $270.1 billion, reflecting a 3.2% increase from the previous month.
• New orders in December jumped by 0.4% excluding transportation and by 0.1% excluding defense.
• Transportation equipment was the main driver of the decline, down by $3.3 billion or 3.9% to $80.1 billion. The sector is down three of the last four months.
• Increases were seen in shipments, unfilled orders, and inventories, while nondefense new orders for capital goods fell during the month.