The Durable Goods, advance report shows new orders increased by 4.2% for June 2013.  While the headline number sounds great, not so fast, the gains are on volatile aircraft new orders.  Shipments did not change.   Aircraft and parts new orders from the non-defense sector increased 31.4%.  Aircraft & parts from the defense sector increased 18.7%.   Excluding all transportation, which includes aircraft, new orders came in at zero.  In other words, without transportation new orders didn't grow at all.

The Durable Goods advance report shows new orders declined by -5.2% for January 2013.  But that's not the real story as Defense new orders plunged the most since January 2009.  Without defense, durable goods new orders the January decline would have been just -0.4%.

The Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders report shows factory new orders plunged -5.2% for August 2012. This Census statistical release is called Factory Orders by the press and covers both durable and non-durable manufacturing orders, shipments and inventories. This is the largest monthly drop since January 2009, although July showed a 2.6% increase.

The Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders report shows an April -0.6% decline in new orders after March's -2.1% new orders decline. This report is called Factory Orders by the press and covers both durable and non-durable manufacturing orders, shipments and inventories.