Orders placed with U.S. factories for business equipment cooled unexpectedly in May after an upwardly revised April jump that was the largest this year, indicating resilient demand, Commerce Department figures showed Wednesday.
Highlights of Durable Goods (May)
- Non-military capital goods orders excluding aircraft fell 0.2% (est. 0.5% gain) after surging 2.3% the prior month (prev. 1%); figure is proxy for business investment.
- Shipments of those goods, used to calculate gross domestic product, dipped 0.1% (est. 0.3% increase) after a revised 1% increase (prev. 0.9%).
- Bookings for all durable goods, or items meant to last at least three years, fell 0.6% (est. 1% decline) following a revised 1% decrease
Key Takeaways
While the figures are typically volatile, the latest data signal the underlying trend in business investment remains firm in the face of uncertainty related to U.S. tariffs. Orders for machinery and communications equipment increased in May.
Growth in business spending, which is getting a boost from lower corporate taxes, will be an additional source of support for the projected pickup in second-quarter economic growth primarily driven by consumer purchases.
Higher input costs, and uncertainty related to escalating threats of tit-for-tat tariffs between the U.S. and its trade partners, however, represent risks to the outlook.
Total bookings were beset by a slump in transportation equipment. Orders for motor vehicles slumped 4.2% in May, the biggest decrease since January 2015. Aircraft orders also depressed total bookings. Boeing Co., the Chicago-based aerospace company, said it received 43 orders for aircraft in May, down from 78 the prior month.
Other Details
- Orders for machinery climbed 0.3%t after a 1.7% increase.
- Communications equipment orders rose 5.7% after a 3.9% gain.
- After surging in recent months, orders for primary and fabricated metals declined in May.
- Bookings for civilian aircraft and parts fell 7%; defense capital-goods orders jumped 15.1%.
- Excluding transportation-equipment demand, which is volatile, orders fell 0.3% after jumping 1.9%.
- Durable goods inventories rose 0.3% for a second month.
By Shobhana Chandra
