Last updated: September 20, 2026. This guide is educational and is not individualized investment advice.
Quick take: The U.S. Census Bureau will release its advance report on August 2026 durable goods orders at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 25. The report can move market expectations because it includes information on business equipment demand, but the headline is often volatile. Readers get a better signal by separating transportation, defense, and the nondefense capital-goods measures.
When is the next durable goods orders report?
| Report | Reference month | Scheduled release |
|---|---|---|
| Advance Durable Goods Orders | August 2026 | September 25, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET |
| Full Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders report | August 2026 | October 2, 2026, 10:00 a.m. ET |
Source: the Census Bureau’s economic-indicator calendar and M3 release schedule. Scheduled dates can change, so readers should confirm timing on release day.
The most recent official baseline
The Census Bureau’s latest indicator page showed $339.3 billion in advance new orders for manufactured durable goods for July 2026, a 1.1% increase from the prior month. The page listed June at $335.7 billion after revision, up 0.5% from May. These are the current published figures, not an estimate for August.
Durable goods are items expected to last at least three years, such as machinery, vehicles, computers, and aircraft. Because some of these categories are large and uneven, one month’s total can swing sharply without describing a broad shift in the economy.
Five lines to read after the release
- Total new orders: the headline is useful context, but it can be affected by large transportation orders.
- Orders excluding transportation: this removes one especially lumpy area, though it is still not a complete measure of underlying activity.
- Nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft: often called a proxy for business equipment investment; readers should use the report’s exact label rather than treating it as a full GDP forecast.
- Shipments of those capital goods: analysts watch this component because it can feed into later investment estimates, subject to revisions.
- Revisions: a revision to the previous month can matter as much as the new headline.
How the market may interpret the data
Stronger orders can be consistent with resilient equipment demand, while weaker orders can raise questions about manufacturing momentum. Neither conclusion is automatic. The effect on shares or Treasury yields also depends on inflation data, interest-rate expectations, earnings, and the details inside the release.
For rate context, see our explanation of why the 10-year Treasury yield matters. For other scheduled releases this week, consult the U.S. economic calendar.
A practical release-day checklist
- Check the reference month and release time before reacting to a headline.
- Read the total, ex-transportation, capital-goods, shipment, and revision lines together.
- Distinguish the initial advance estimate from the fuller report that follows.
- Avoid treating one volatile data point as a complete forecast for a company, industry, or portfolio.
FAQ
What are durable goods orders?
They measure new orders received by U.S. manufacturers for products expected to last at least three years. The Census Bureau publishes the advance report each month.
Why exclude transportation?
Transportation, especially aircraft, can be unusually large and volatile. The ex-transportation measure can help readers see whether a move is concentrated in that category.
Are durable goods orders a stock-market prediction?
No. They are one economic data release among many. Market reactions reflect both the data and investors’ prior expectations.