October Durable Goods Orders Fall as Aircraft Demand Tumbles

11:01 AM EST, 12/23/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Demand for US durable goods declined more than expected in October, weighed down by double-digit drops in the civilian and defense aircraft segments, delayed official data showed Tuesday.

Orders for tangible items with an average life of at least three years decreased by 2.2% sequentially to about $307.38 billion two months ago, the Census Bureau said. That follows a month-on-month gain of 0.7% in September.

The consensus was for a decline of 1.5% for October in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

The report was delayed because of a recent federal government shutdown.

Demand for transportation equipment turned negative, at 6.5% as civilian aircraft orders plunged 20%, while the defense category tumbled 32%. Growth in the motor vehicles and parts component decelerated to 0.1% from 0.6% in September.

Plane manufacturer Boeing's (BA) data showed that its orders plunged to 15 in October from 96 in September.

Excluding transportation, durable goods orders edged up 0.2% in October, trailing the 0.3% gain expected by Wall Street.

Last week, data from S&P Global's (SPGI) flash purchasing managers' index showed that private-sector output growth hit a six-month low in December as strength in the services and manufacturing sectors weakened.

"While manufacturers continue to report higher output, lower sales point to unsustainable production levels which will need to be lowered unless demand revives in the new year," S&P Global Market Intelligence Chief Business Economist Chris Williamson said at the time.

MT Newswires does not provide investment advice. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.