New orders for U.S. manufactured goods rose 1.8% to $677.2 billion in September, the U.S. Census Bureau said Tuesday. It was the third straight monthly gain, after a revised 0.3% rise in August. Orders for transportation equipment rose 4.6% to $119.9 billion. Shipments rose 1.3% to $668.5 billion, and the backlog of unfilled durable-goods orders climbed 0.9% to $1.62 trillion. The Census figures are adjusted for seasonal changes but not for inflation.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said in a survey released October 26 that Texas manufacturing output kept growing in October, though at a slower pace. Its production index fell from 29.5 in September to 15.8. The new-orders index dropped from 30.7 to 9.3. The survey drew responses from 64 of 114 manufacturers between October 13 and October 21. Positive readings mean more firms reported increases than decreases.
Cost pressures remained. The Dallas Fed said its raw-materials prices index rose to 55.3 from 52.2, well above its historical average of 28.1. Its finished-goods prices index rose to 29.9 from 27.6. The Dallas Fed plans to publish its next Texas survey on November 30.