Durable goods orders rise
New orders for manufactured durable goods increased $6.2 billion or 3.0 percent in December to $214.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced.
Orders have risen in five of the last six months. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 2.1 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 3.5 percent.
"Like other recent data, the December 2011 report on demand for long-lasting goods paints a picture of an economy that ended a volatile and challenging 2011 on a positive note," said Cliff Waldman, economist for the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI), regarding the durable goods report. "Total new orders, now up during five of the last six months, increased a strong 3 percent after an even stronger 4.3 percent advance in November and for the year registered a solid 10 percent gain over 2010 levels. Excluding the often volatile transportation component, orders were up a more modest 2.1 percent in December but were nonetheless a nice acceleration from a weak 0.5 percent increase during the previous month. Even more encouraging were the data on new orders for nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft. A widely accepted proxy for business equipment investment, this indicator had been flashing clear signs of slowing in recent months but increased a significant 2.9 percent in December and, like total new orders, was up by 10 percent for the year as a whole."
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The May/June issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about GHX Industrial. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam and Frank Hurtte, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
