WASHINGTON – Durable goods climbed 3.3% in September, well above economists’ estimates, but the gain was driven almost entirely by aircraft and parts orders, the Commerce Department reported today.
Excluding transportation, durable goods orders decreased 0.8% for the month. Transportation equipment jumped 15.7%, the largest gain since January, as nondefense aircraft and parts, a volatile monthly figure, surged by $6.6 billion, or 105%.
Economists expected durable goods would increase 1.9% and orders excluding transportation would increase 0.4%, according to the median estimate from Thomson Reuters.
Durable goods orders for August were revised higher to a 1.0% decline from a 1.3% drop reported last month. Excluding transportation, August orders increased 1.9%, compared to the 2.0% rise initially reported.
September orders for nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft fell 0.6%, the second decrease in three months following a 4.8% jump in August.
Total unfilled orders increased 1.0%, the largest gain since March 2008.
