US durable goods orders were largely unchanged in August 2026, with new orders recorded at $338.6 billion, according to a report published by reports on 25 September 2026.
The report noted that the month-on-month reading was essentially flat following two consecutive monthly increases, and that market forecasts had pointed to a 0.4% decrease, a projection that did not materialise in the headline figure.
Detailed category movement was mixed. Orders for transport equipment fell by 0.6%, with nondefence aircraft and parts down 4.3% and vehicles and parts lower by 0.6%, while fabricated metal products declined by 1.3%.
Numbers in context
The $338.6 billion total for August represents the aggregated value of new orders for US-manufactured durable goods in that month; reports presented the figure as showing little month-on-month change after the prior two months of increases, and as diverging from the consensus expectation of a modest drop.
Sectoral detail
Movements within major categories were not uniform and the report highlighted several specific declines.
- Transport equipment: down 0.6% overall.
- Nondefence aircraft and parts: down 4.3%.
- Vehicles and parts: down 0.6%.
- Fabricated metal products: down 1.3%.
The report framed the August result as an unexpected hold rather than a clear directional shift, given the contrast with the forecasters' call for a fall in orders; it also emphasised that the reading came after two months of rising orders, underlining that the series has shown recent upward movement before the latest month.
reports presented these figures as the core detail of its 25 September 2026 item, leaving the headline characterisation as "unexpectedly flat" in light of the consensus forecast and the category-level declines disclosed in the data.