New orders for manufactured goods in December, up three of the last four months, increased $9.4 billion or 2.4% to $405.2 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Feb. 2.This followed a 1.2% November increase.
Shipments, up four of the last five months, increased $5.4 billion or 1.4% to $395.9 billion. This followed a 0.2% November increase.
New orders for manufactured durable goods in December, up four of the last five months, increased $6.2 billion or 2.9% to $221.3 billion. This followed a 2.2% November increase.
New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $3.2 billion or 1.8 % to $183.9 billion.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in December, up eleven of the last twelve months, increased $1.1 billion or 0.4% to $295.8 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase.