The statistics for February 2001 are below.
New orders
New factory orders for manufactured goods
declined 0.4% or $1.4 billion in February to $363 billion on the heels of a 3.8%
or $14.4 billion decrease in January. This is higher than the consensus estimate
of a 0.2% decrease and is the sixth consecutive month-to-month decline. New
orders for manufactured durable goods decreased $0.9 billion or 0.4% to $198.7
billion, revised from the previously announced 0.2% decrease. Industrial
machinery and equipment had the largest decrease, $1.3 billion or 3.1% to $42.2
billion. Fabricated metals, down five of the last six months, fell $0.7 billion
or 3.7% to $18.9 billon. This is the largest decrease since May 1997.
Transportation equipment decreased $0.5 billion or 1.3% to $41.7 billion.
Electronic and other electrical equipment increased $1.9 billion or 5.0% to
$38.9 billion, recovering nearly two-thirds of its fall in January.
New
orders for nondurable goods, down five of the last six months, decreased $0.5
billion or 0.3% to $164.3 billion. A decline in petroleum and coal products
more than offset an increase in food products.
Shipments
Shipments of durable goods in February
decreased $1.4 billion or 0.7% to $200.1 billion, revised from the previously
published 0.3% decrease. This is the fifth consecutive decrease. Industrial
machinery and equipment, led by computer and office equipment, had the largest
decline, $2.0 billion or 4.7% to $41.4 billion. This is the largest decrease
since July 1986 and the seventh in the last ten months. Electronic and other
electrical equipment decreased $0.3 billon or 0.7% to $40.0 billion. Fabricated
metals, down six consecutive months, decreased $0.2 billion or 1.3% to $19.1
billion. Transportation equipment, up for the first time since September,
increased $1.4 billion or 3.5% to $42.4 billion, due to aircraft and
parts.
Shipments of nondurable goods, down five of the last six months,
decreased $0.5 billion or 0.3% to $164.4 billion. Petroleum and coal products
had the largest decrease, $0.9 billion or 4.2% to $19.7 billion..
Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for durable goods in
February decreased $1.4 billion or 0.2% to $568.6 billion, revised from the
previously published 0.3% decrease. Electronic and other electrical equipment,
down three consecutive months, had the largest decrease, $1.1 billion or 1.2% to
$94.4 billion, due to electronic components. Primary metals, down 15 or the last
16 months, decreased $0.3 billion or 1.1% to $28.9 billion. Transportation
equipment decreased $0.8 billion or 0.3% to $262.8 billion. Industrial equipment
and machinery increased $0.8 billion or 0.9% to $92.7 billion, due to engines
and turbines.
Inventories
Inventories of durable goods decreased $0.2
billion or 0.1% in February to $312.0 billion. This is the first decrease since
March 2000. Transportation equipment had the largest decrease, $0.4 billion or
0.6% to $68.6 billion. Electronic and other electrical equipment increased $0.2
billion or 0.5% to $49.5 billion, the tenth increase in the last eleven
months.
Inventories of nondurable goods decreased $0.5 billion or 0.3%
to $182.96 billion, primarily due to chemicals and allied products.
By
stage of fabrication, February finished goods increased 0.2% in durables and
decreased 0.1% in nondurables. Work in process decreased 0.1% in durables and
0.6% in nondurables. Materials and supplies decreased 0.2% in durables and 0.4%
in nondurables.
Read the latest report from the Bureau of the Census.
