US durable goods orders rose 2.2% in September, paced by transportation equipment, especially commercial aircraft.
Orders totaled $238.7 billion in September, up from an adjusted $233.6 billion in August. It was the third monthly gain in the past four months, the Commerce Department said in a monthly report.
Transportation equipment advanced 5.1% in September to $81.2 billion. Within that segment, new orders for commercial aircraft soared, increasing 31.5% to $12.8 billion.
The commercial aircraft category has been erratic the past few months. The segment enjoyed a 33.5% increase in August. But it also saw a 71% plunge in July.
New orders for defense aircraft posted a 2.4% increase to $3.8 billion. That category also has swung wildly, posting a 31% nosedive in August after a 46% advance in July.
Other Categories
Also in the transportation category, new orders for motorized vehicles and parts gained 0.1% to $54.645 billion from an adjusted $54.608 billion in August.
Excluding transportation, orders increased 0.7%, according to the department. Excluding defense, new orders gained 2%.
In other categories, new orders for fabricated metal products rose 1.7% to $33.3 billion; orders for machinery declined 0.2% to $31.8 billion; and orders for primary metals fell 0.1% to $19.9 billion.
Read more: Durable Goods Orders Rise 2.2%, Paced by Commercial Aircraft