US: Durable goods orders increased by 4.5% in August following July's 1.2% contraction

"New orders for manufactured durable goods in August increased $11.1 billion or 4.5 percent to $259.6 billion," the U.S. Census Bureau reported on Thursday.

Key takeaways from the press release

• This increase, up two of the last three months, followed a 1.2 percent July decrease.
• Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.1 percent.
• Excluding defense, new orders increased 2.6 percent.
• Transportation equipment, also up two of the last three months, led the increase, $10.9 billion or 13.0 percent to $95.3 billion. 
• Shipments of manufactured durable goods in August, up three of the last four months, increased $1.9 billion or 0.8 percent to $253.1 billion.