US durable goods orders flat in August, topping forecast for a decline
Orders were unchanged last month against expectations for a 0.3% drop, and followed a stronger-than-expected report on new home sales
Published · Updated
UpdateFriday, September 25, 2026 at 8:40 AM ET
The forecast decline economists had expected is now given as 0.4%, not 0.3%.
The August durable goods orders reading of 0.0% was measured against a revised consensus forecast of a 0.4% decline, wider than the 0.3% decline previously expected.
US durable goods orders were flat in August, coming in at 0.0% month on month. Economists had expected a decline of 0.3%. Orders rose 0.9% in July.
The reading followed a report showing new home sales climbed to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 684,000 units in August, well above the 615,000 pace forecast.
A flat reading that beats a forecast decline, coming after stronger housing data, points to demand that has not weakened further. But flat growth is not the same as a pickup, and it leaves the broader picture of consumer and business spending as mixed as it has been in recent months.