New orders for manufactured durable goods increased $6.3 billion, or 3.3 percent, in September to $199.2 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Durable goods orders have been up in two of the last three months, and the September increase followed a 1-percent August decrease.
Excluding transportation goods, new orders decreased 0.8 percent. Transportation equipment, which was up in two of the last three months, had the largest sector increase in new orders, $7.4 billion, or 15.7 percent. In all, new orders for transportation goods totaled $54.8 billion, primarily due to civilian aircraft and parts, which increased $6.6 billion.
Inventories of durable goods have been up nine consecutive months. In September, manufacturers increased inventories $1.7 billion, or 0.5 percent, to $314.7 billion.
