US durable goods orders: what the report shows and how it moves the dollar

US durable goods orders is the monthly Census Bureau measure of new orders placed with American factories for long-lasting goods, from machinery and computers to cars and aircraft. The headline swings with aircraft orders, so the market looks at the lines without transportation and at core capital goods to judge business investment, and through that the outlook for growth and the dollar.

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By Mike. Explanation updated 2 Oct 2026; the dates and moves below update with the research.

US durable goods orders in short

Next release: Not on our calendar yet. It appears once the date is confirmed.
Published by: U.S. Census Bureau
When: Monthly, usually in the last week of the following month, at 8:30 in the morning New York time. That is 14:30 in Amsterdam for most of the year, and 13:30 in the few weeks when the US and Europe have changed their clocks on different dates. The full report on all factory orders follows about a week later, at 10:00 New York time.
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Impact: Medium: it moves the currency when it surprises
The line read first: New orders for durable goods, month on month, with and without transportation
Watched for investment: Nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft
Covers: The month before, in dollars, adjusted for the season but not for prices
Full report: Shipments, inventories and orders for all manufacturing, about a week later

What is in the US durable goods orders report

The Census Bureau's Advance Report on Durable Goods comes from its monthly survey of manufacturers' shipments, inventories and orders. It shows new orders, shipments, unfilled orders and inventories for durable goods.

The survey is based on manufacturers with $500 million or more in yearly shipments. The figures are seasonally adjusted but not adjusted for price changes, so higher prices alone can lift them.

The report revises the month before. A full report on all manufacturing, durable and nondurable, follows about a week later with revised and more detailed figures.

Why US durable goods orders move the dollar

Orders show what factories will produce in the months ahead, so they are read as a forward signal for manufacturing. The Bureau of Economic Analysis also uses the survey's data in its GDP estimates.

Business investment is the part the market cares about most. Orders for nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft, often called core capital goods, are read as a guide to company spending on equipment.

The headline is noisy. A few large aircraft orders can move it a long way in a single month, which says little about the wider economy.

How to read durable goods orders against the forecast

Look past the headline first. The figure without transportation and the core capital goods line give a cleaner picture than the total.

Then check the revised figure for the month before. A strong new month on top of a weaker revision can add up to little.

On its own, the report rarely sets the dollar's direction for long. It matters more when it confirms or contradicts what the ISM manufacturing survey and GDP have been saying about investment.

What the US dollar did on the last release days

Our calendar keeps the exact time of each release since 16 September 2026. The first US durable goods orders after that date will show here with the US dollar's move around it.

For scale: on an ordinary day the US dollar moves 0.23% against the basket from one London opening to the next, either way, on average over the 250 trading days since 14 Oct 2025.

The forecast, the figure itself and what it changed in our view of the currency are in the app, next to the research.

Questions about US durable goods orders

What time are US durable goods orders released?

At 8:30 in the morning New York time, usually in the last week of the following month. That is 14:30 in Amsterdam for most of the year, and 13:30 in the weeks when the US and Europe change their clocks on different dates.

What are core durable goods orders?

The term is used for two lines. Orders excluding transportation leave out transportation equipment such as cars and aircraft. Nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft, often called core capital goods, track business spending on equipment.

Why do durable goods orders jump around so much?

Because aircraft orders are large and come in lumps. A month with many plane orders can lift the headline sharply, and the next month can give it all back.

Are durable goods orders adjusted for inflation?

No. The Census Bureau adjusts them for seasonal swings but not for price changes. In a period of fast-rising prices, part of any increase is simply higher prices.