Durable Goods Orders Grow at Fastest Rate since August 2016

(Positive) Real durable goods new orders in February 2017 were $222,666 million. Compared with one year ago, durable goods new orders grew 1.1 percent, which marks the fifth month of growth in the last seven months. Also, this was the fastest rate of growth since August 2016. But, the rates of growth have been quite slow. The annual rate of change, now -0.8 percent, contracted at about the same for the sixth straight month.

Motor vehicle and parts orders contracted for the first time since October 2016. The annual rate of growth fell below 1 percent to its slowest rate of growth since May 2010.

Aerospace orders increased 26.6 percent in February. That was the first month-over-month increase since October 2016 and just the second since May 2016.

Accelerating Growth: ship/boat building

Decelerating Growth: construction materials, electronics/computers/electronics, fabricated metal products, motor vehicle/parts

Decelerating Contraction: aerospace, appliances, capital goods HVAC, machinery/equipment, oil/gas-field/mining machinery, off-road/construction machinery, power generation, primary metals

Accelerating Contraction: durable goods