US Durable Goods Orders Slip in August After Two-Month Rise
New orders for manufactured durable goods edged down in August, snapping a two-month streak of gains, Census Bureau data show.
New orders for manufactured durable goods declined marginally in August, reversing a two-month run of increases, according to advance data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Orders fell $0.1 billion, landing at $338.6 billion — a decrease so slight it registered as essentially unchanged on a percentage basis.
The August reading follows a revised 0.9 percent gain recorded in July, signaling that demand for big-ticket factory goods has plateaued rather than collapsed. Durable goods — items designed to last three or more years, ranging from aircraft and machinery to household appliances — are closely watched as a barometer of business investment intentions and broader industrial health.
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The near-flat result suggests manufacturers are navigating a period of demand stabilization after back-to-back monthly improvements. Analysts typically monitor the durable goods series for directional shifts that can foreshadow capital spending trends across the wider economy, though a single month's data rarely points to a definitive trend change.
The Census Bureau will release a more complete revision of August factory orders data in subsequent reports, which may adjust the preliminary figures. Continue reading at U.S. Census Bureau Economic Briefing Room.
