Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories and Orders edge up in July
Upward trend continues.
Summary.
New orders for manufactured goods in July, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $0.6 billion or 0.1 percent to $409.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 0.6 percent June decrease.
Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 1.5 percent. Shipments, also up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $4.4 billion or 1.1 percent to $417.1 billion. This followed a 0.5 percent June decrease. Unfilled orders, down following three consecutive monthly increases, decreased $1.1 billion or 0.1 percent to $802.8 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent June increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 5.53, down from 5.59 in June.
Inventories, up six of the last seven months, increased $5.1 billion or 1.0 percent to $526.0 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent June increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was unchanged at 1.26.
New Orders.
New orders for manufactured durable goods in July, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $0.7 billion or 0.4 percent to $193.0 billion, revised from the previously published 0.3 percent increase. This followed a 0.2 percent June decrease.
Transportation equipment, also up following two consecutive monthly decreases, had
the largest increase, $6.0 billion or 12.9 percent to $52.5 billion.
New orders for manufactured nondurable goods decreased $0.1 billion to $216.5 billion.
Shipments.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in July, up four of the last five months, increased $4.5 billion or 2.3 percent to $200.6 billion, revised from the previously published 2.2 percent increase. This followed a 0.2 percent June increase.
Transportation equipment, also up four of the last five months, had the largest increase, $3.4 billion or 7.0 percent to $52.7 billion.
Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, down four consecutive months, decreased $0.1 billion to $216.5 billion. This followed a 1.1 percent June decrease.
Beverage and tobacco products, down two of the last three months, drove the decrease, down $0.4 billion or 3.3 percent to $10.5 billion.
Unfilled Orders.
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in July, down following three consecutive monthly increases, decreased $1.1 billion or 0.1 percent to $802.8 billion, unchanged from the previously published decrease. This followed a 0.1 percent June increase.
Computers and electronic products, down following four consecutive monthly increases, had the largest decrease, $0.6 billion or 0.5 percent to $121.0 billion.
Inventories.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in July, up seven consecutive months, increased $1.7 billion or 0.6 percent to $311.1 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 1.2 percent June increase.
Machinery, up five consecutive months, had the largest increase, $0.8 billion or 1.6 percent to $51.3 billion.
Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $3.4 billion or 1.6 percent to $214.9 billion. This followed a 1.6 percent June decrease.
Petroleum and coal products, up following two consecutive decreases, led the increase, up $2.7 billion or 7.3 percent to $40.5 billion.
By stage of fabrication, July materials and supplies decreased 0.1 percent in durable goods and increased 2.5 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 0.6 percent in durable goods and 1.0 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods increased 1.2 percent in durable goods and 1.2 percent in nondurable goods.
