∙ U.S. Factory Orders Down $2.9 Bil. In April

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New orders for manufactured goods in April, down three of the last four months, decreased $2.9 billion or 0.6 percent to $466.0 billion. This followed a 2.1 percent March decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 1.1 percent. Shipments, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $1.5 billion or 0.3 percent to $473.2 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent March increase. Unfilled orders, down following twenty-seven consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.8 billion or 0.1 percent to $985.4 billion. This followed a slight March increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 6.33, up from 6.29 in March. Inventories, up twenty-two of the last twenty-three months, increased $0.1 billion to $607.2 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.1 percent March increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.28, unchanged from March.” Source: USDOC

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