New orders for manufactured goods in February increased 1 percent to $476.5 billion according to the U.S. Census Bureau. New orders for manufactured durable goods in February increased 1.8 percent to $236.0 billion. New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased 0.2 percent to $240.5 billion. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.31, unchanged from January.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods, up eleven of the last twelve months, increased 0.3 percent to $239.4 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. Machinery (+0.3 percent) led the increase. Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up eleven of the last twelve months, increased 0.2 percent to $240.5 billion. Chemical Products (+1.1 percent) led the increase.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in February, up three of the last four months, increased 0.2 percent to $385.2 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. Primary metals (+0.7 percent) led the increase. Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods increased 0.1 percent to $244.8 billion. Petroleum and coal products (+1.6 percent) drove the increase.
