Date: September 2012: durabld-goods-orders-092712.png (818×559)

The chart below shows the annual changes in Durable Goods Orders as well as Nondefense Capital Goods Ex-Aircraft. Historically, when the annual rate of change of these two indexes have simultaneously printed a negative reading the economy was in, or near, a recession. As of the most recent report Durable Goods Orders showed a -6.7% annual decline while Nondefense Capital Goods showed a -3.1% decline.