Key facts
- New orders for durable goods rose 1.8% in September.
- Transportation equipment orders surged 4.6%, led by civilian aircraft bookings.
- Orders for machinery increased 1.2%, and computers and electronic products rose 0.8%.
New orders for U.S.-manufactured durable goods increased 1.8% in September, marking the largest monthly gain in five months and exceeding market expectations of a 1.5% rise. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that this increase was primarily driven by a strong rebound in transportation equipment orders, which climbed 4.6% after a decline in August. Civilian aircraft bookings saw a significant surge of 28.4%. Orders also rose for machinery, computers and electronic products, primary metals, and fabricated metal products. Excluding transportation, new orders increased by 0.5%, and excluding defense, they surged by 2.2%. Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a key indicator of business investment, rose 0.5%.