U.S. Census Bureau release Advance report on manufacturers' shipments, inventories & orders November 2007.
Summary: New orders for manufactured goods in November, up five of the last six months, increased $6.2 billion or 1.5 percent to $430.3 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. This followed a 0.7 percent October increase.
Shipments, up four of the last five months, increased $6.2 billion or 1.5 percent to $429.4 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.2 percent October increase.
Unfilled orders, up thirty of the last thirty-one months, increased $7.5 billion or 1.0 percent to $786.8 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.0 percent October increase. The unfilled orders-toshipments ratio was 5.28, up from 5.22 in October.
Inventories, up nine of the last ten months, increased $3.9 billion or 0.8 percent to $524.4 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.2 percent October increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.22, down from 1.23 in October.
New Orders: New orders for manufactured durable goods in November, down four consecutive months, decreased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to $214.1 billion, revised from the previously published 0.1 percent increase. This followed a 0.5 percent October decrease.
Machinery, down three of the last four months, had the largest decrease, $0.6 billion or 2.0 percent to $28.8 billion. New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $6.4 billion or 3.0 percent to $216.3 billion.