Sales of new single family houses in October 2012 were 368,000 at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, down 0.3 percent from September’s revised level but up 17.2 percent from October 2011.
New orders for manufactured durable goods in October 2012 increased slightly to $216.9 billion. Excluding transportation, new orders rose 1.5 percent. Overall shipments decreased 0.6 percent. Capital goods shipments fell 0.7 percent. Unfilled orders grew 0.2 percent. And inventories increased 0.4 percent in October.
Building permits in October 2012 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 866,000, down 2.7 percent from the revised September rate but up 29.8 percent from October 2011. Housing starts in October 2012 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 894,000, up 3.6 percent from the revised September estimate and up 41.9 percent from October 2011.
September 2012 business inventories were $1,612.9 billion, up 0.7 percent from August and up 6.2 percent from September 2011. Sales were $1,263.9 billion, up 1.4 percent from August and up 4.4 percent from September 2011.
Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales (Sep 2012).pdf
October 2012 retail and food services sales were $411.6 billion, down 0.3 percent from the previous month but up 3.8 percent from one year earlier. Excluding autos, retail and food services sales in October were $336.8 billion, unchanged from September but up 3.6 percent from October 2011.
