New orders for manufactured durable goods in March 2012 decreased 4.2 percent, to $202.6 billion. Excluding transportation, new orders fell 1.1 percent. Overall shipments rose 1.0 percent, while capital goods shipments increased 2.5 percent. Unfilled orders were virtually unchanged and inventories increased 0.4 percent.
Sales of new single-family homes in March 2012 were 328,000 at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, down 7.1 percent from February’s revised rate but up 7.5 percent from March 2011.
Building permits in March 2012 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 747,000, up 4.5 percent from the revised February rate and up 30.1 percent from March 2011. Housing starts in March 2012 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 654,000, down 5.8 percent from February’s revised estimated but up 10.3 percent from March 2011.
February 2012 business inventories were $1,577.8 billion, up 0.6 percent from January 2012 and up 7.6 percent from February 2011. Sales were $1,236.7 billion, up 0.7 percent from January 2012 and up 7.6 percent from February 2011.
March 2012 retail and food services sales were $411.1 billion, up 0.8 percent from the previous month and up 6.5 percent from one year earlier. Excluding autos, retail and food services sales in March were $338.1 billion, up 0.8 percent from February and up 6.1 percent from March 2011.
