WASHINGTON - New orders for manufactured goods were down $1.6 billion or 0.4% to $450.0 billion in October, the lowest level since June, the Commerce Department reported Monday.
The October decline followed a 0.1% decrease in September and was lower than the median 0.3% decrease estimated by economists polled by Thomson Reuters.
Excluding transportation, factory orders were up 0.2% in October, after a 0.9% gain in September.
Shipments, up five of the last six months, rose $3.2 billion or 1.6% to $203.9 billion in October, following a 0.4% decrease the previous month.
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods, up 18 of the last 19 months, increased $1.8 billion or 0.2% to $885.9 billion, following a 0.6% gain in September.
Inventories, up 22 consecutive months, rose $1.6 billion or 0.4% to $366.9 billion in October, after rising a revised 0.5% the previous month.
