Long Term Perspective
New orders for durable goods reveal demand for consumer goods such as cars and home appliances as well as investment equipment such as lathes and computers. Notice that the sharp demand for information technology in the past few years has pointedly reversed direction in 2001.

Short Term Perspective
New orders surged in October after plunging in September. But the monthly changes in the figures were skewed by the tragic events of September 11. On a year-over-year basis, new orders for durable goods remain sharply lower.

Real GDP vs. Final Sales   •   Real Consumer Spending vs. Real Income   •   Debt Burden vs. Savings Rate

Business Fixed Investment vs. Net Cash Flow   •   New Orders   •   Housing Starts vs. Mortgage Rates

Merchandise Exports vs. Trade Weighted Dollar   •   Merchandise Imports vs. Trade Weighted Dollar