U.S. durable-goods orders climbed 1.8% in September to $345.4 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau said Tuesday, with transportation equipment and nondefense capital goods accounting for much of the increase.
September’s rise followed a revised 0.1% gain in August, making it the sixth monthly increase in the past seven months. The bureau’s new-orders measure counts orders received during the month after cancellations are deducted.
Transportation equipment orders added $5.2 billion, or 4.6%, to reach $119.8 billion. Orders excluding transportation rose 0.5%, while those excluding defense increased 2.2%. Nondefense capital-goods orders advanced 6.2% to $107.8 billion. Defense capital-goods orders fell 1.8% to $20.8 billion.
Manufacturers’ shipments of durable goods increased 0.9%, or $3 billion, to $336.8 billion. The series accounts for seasonal patterns, but its dollar values do not account for price changes. The Census Bureau said the survey design, which is not based on a probability sample, prevents it from assessing whether the estimates are statistically significant.
Forecasts cited before the release differed. FXStreet reported a 0.6% market expectation for September orders, while FXEmpire’s pre-release preview listed a 1.8% forecast. The actual increase matched FXEmpire’s figure and exceeded the estimate FXStreet cited. FXStreet also reported that the U.S. Dollar Index was at 102.18, up 0.15% on the day at 12:36 GMT, and said the report had not produced a noticeable market reaction.
The Census Bureau scheduled revised and more detailed September estimates for Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. ET (15:00 UTC). Its advance report on October durable-goods orders is due Nov. 25 at 8:30 a.m. ET (13:30 UTC).
