Another Massive Revision, This Time Durable Goods, What’s Going On -

Another Massive Revision, This Time Durable Goods, What’s Going On

May 24, 2024Jeremy ParkinsonFinance, No picture0

Image Source: PexelsThe Commerce Department revised March durable goods orders from +2.6 percent to +0.8 percent. Now it reports a 0.7 percent gain vs. an expectation of -0.5 percent. Durable Goods data from Commerce Department, revision inset from Bloomberg Econoday, chart by MishAdvance Durable Goods

New orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up three consecutive months, increased $1.9 billion or 0.7 percent to $284.1 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today.

This followed a 0.8 percent March increase.

Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.4 percent.

Excluding defense, new orders were virtually unchanged.

Transportation equipment, also up three consecutive months, led the increase, $1.1 billion or 1.2 percent to $96.2 billion.

Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, up three consecutive months, increased $3.4 billion or 1.2 percent to $285.7 billion.

This followed a 0.1 percent March increase.

Transportation equipment, also up three consecutive months, led the increase, $3.1 billion or 3.4 percent to $93.0 billion.

What Happened?The Commerce Department made a massive revision to transportation orders. There have been a lot of revisions lately, most of them very negative.New Orders and Shipments in Millions of Dollars I created some new charts today to show how misleading the reported data is.New Orders and Shipments in Millions of Real (Inflation-Adjusted) Dollars Adjusted for inflation, durable goods new order and shipments are at best going nowhere. Transportation orders are keeping everything afloat.Durable Goods Real New Orders Percent Change From Year Ago Real Orders and Shipments Year-Over-Year Key Points

Year-Over-Year Real New orders are down four consecutive months

Year-Over-Year Real Shipments are down 14 out of the last 16 months

Shipments are important because that’s what feeds GDP. And it’s hard for shipments to do well if new orders are plunging.New Home Sales Sink 4.7 Percent on Top of Huge Negative RevisionsNew Home Sales plunged. And the Census Department completely revised away last month’s fictional 8.8 percent rise. New Home Sales by Census Department, Chart by MishFor discussion, please see New Home Sales Sink 4.7 Percent on Top of Huge Negative Revisions.Second Big RevisionHere’s my headline from last month: New Home Sales Rise 8.8 Percent After 3.8 Percent Negative Revision.Expect Big Negative Revisions to BLS Monthly Jobs in 2023On April 24, the BLS released a little-read jobs report that shows reported jobs in 2023 may be wildly overstated. In turn, that means GDP is likely overstated as well. Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data and and Monthly Job Data both from the BLS, chart by MishFor discussion, please see Expect Big Negative Revisions to BLS Monthly Jobs in 2023, GDP Too.Consistently large negative revisions are the hallmark of recessions.More By This Author:Competing Forces On Rent, Where Do We Put 8 Million Illegal Immigrants?Homebuilders Have The Most Inventory Since May 2008, Big Discounts Coming New Home Sales Sink 4.7 Percent on Top of Huge Negative Revisions