The following is the unedited transcript of the news release from the U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce.


Summary

New orders for manufactured goods in February, up three of the last four months, increased $3.7 billion or 1.0% to $386.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 5.7% January decrease. Shipments, down two consecutive months, decreased $2.1 billion or 0.5% to $387.0 billion. This followed a 1.7% January decrease. Unfilled orders, up twenty-one of the last twenty-two months, increased $6.0 billion or 0.9% to $702.7 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.3% January increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 4.85, up from 4.82 in January. Inventories, up eleven of the last twelve months, increased $0.1 billion to $483.0 billion. This followed a slight January decrease. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.25, up from 1.24 in January.

New Orders

New orders for manufactured durable goods in February, up three of the last four months, increased $3.4 billion or 1.7 percent to $206.3 billion, revised from the previously published 2.5 percent increase. This followed an 8.8 percent January decrease.New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $0.3 billion or 0.2 percent to $180.3 billion.

Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, down two consecutive months, decreased $2.4 billion or 1.1 percent to $206.8 billion, revised from the previously published 0.8 percent decrease. This followed a 1.5 percent January decrease.

Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up three of the last four months, increased $0.3 billion or 0.2% to $180.3 billion. This was due to petroleum and coal products, which increased $0.5 billion or 1.7 percent to $32.3 billion.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in February, up twenty-one of the last twenty-two months, increased $6.0 billion or 0.9 percent to $702.7 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This was at the highest level since the series began and followed a 0.3 percent January increase.

Inventories

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in February, up twelve consecutive months, increased $0.4 billion or 0.1 percent to $298.0 billion, revised from the previously published 0.2 percent increase. This followed a 0.4 percent January increase.

Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, down five of the last six months, decreased $0.3 billion or 0.2 percent to $185.0 billion. This was due to chemical products, which decreased $0.3 billion or 0.6 percent to $56.8 billion.

By stage of fabrication, February materials and supplies decreased 0.3% in durable goods and increased 0.4% in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 0.1 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.1 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods increased 0.6 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.6 percent in nondurable goods.


Available at:

http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/m3/index.htm