New orders for US-manufactured durable goods rose 1.1% month over month to $339.3 billion in July 2026, following an upwardly revised 0.5% increase in June and beating market expectations for a 0.5% gain. This was the strongest monthly advance since April, driven largely by higher orders for transportation equipment (2.3%), especially nondefense aircraft and parts (12.7%) and defense aircraft and parts (4.9%).
There were also solid increases in orders for capital goods (1.3%), primary metals (1.5%), and machinery (1.2%). By contrast, orders declined for computers and electronic products (-1.1%) and for electrical equipment, appliances, and components (-0.4%).
Excluding transportation, durable goods orders rose 0.4%, following an upwardly revised 1.1% gain in June, but came in below market expectations for a 0.6% increase. Meanwhile, orders for nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft—a key gauge of business investment plans—edged up 0.2%, after an upwardly revised 1.7% rise in June and short of forecasts for a 0.9% gain.
