Summary
New orders for manufactured goods in September, up eleven of the last twelve months, increased $1.5 billion or 0.3 percent to $551.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 0.2 percent August increase. Shipments, up eighteen of the last nineteen months, increased $1.1 billion or 0.2 percent to $550.3 billion. This followed a 0.7 percent August increase. Unfilled orders, up twenty-five consecutive months, increased $5.9 billion or 0.5 percent to $1,137.8 billion. This followed a 0.5 percent August increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 6.04, up from 5.98 in August. Inventories, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $1.3 billion or 0.2 percent to $801.6 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent August decrease. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.46, unchanged from August.

New Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods in September, up six of the last seven months, increased $1.1 billion or 0.4 percent to $274.9 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 0.2 percent August increase. Transportation equipment, up five of the last six months, drove the increase, $2.0 billion or 2.2 percent to $95.5 billion. New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $0.5 billion or 0.2 percent to $276.1 billion.

Shipments
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in September, up sixteen of the last seventeen months, increased $0.6 billion or 0.2 percent to $274.1 billion, down from the previously published 0.3 percent increase. This followed a 1.3 percent August increase. Transportation equipment, up eleven of the last twelve months, drove the increase, $1.1 billion or 1.2 percent to $90.6 billion. Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up eighteen of the last nineteen months, increased $0.5 billion or 0.2 percent to $276.1 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent August increase. Petroleum and coal products, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, drove the increase, $0.7 billion or 1.0 percent to $65.5 billion.

Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in September, up twenty-five consecutive months, increased $5.9 billion or 0.5 percent to $1,137.8 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 0.5 percent August increase. Transportation equipment, up nineteen of the last twenty months, led the increase, $4.9 billion or 0.7 percent to $663.9 billion.

Inventories
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in September, up twenty consecutive months, increased $1.2 billion or 0.2 percent to $488.7 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 0.2 percent August increase. Machinery, up twenty-three consecutive months, led the increase, $0.9 billion or 1.0 percent to $85.3 billion. Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $0.1 billion or virtually unchanged to $313.0 billion. This followed a 0.7 percent August decrease. Food products, up thirteen of the last fourteen months, drove the increase, $0.5 billion or 0.8 percent to $63.6 billion. By stage of fabrication, September materials and supplies increased 0.3 percent in durable goods and 1.0 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process decreased 0.1 percent in durable goods and 0.5 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods increased 0.6 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.5 percent in nondurable goods.