The U.S. Census Bureau's Durable Goods Orders report is a broad-based monthly survey that measures current industrial activity and is used as an economic indicator by investors. The report includes data on orders, shipments, inventories, and backlogs for manufacturers of non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft. This information can be used to gauge the strength of the manufacturing sector and overall economy.The latest Durable Goods Orders report showed that orders increased 1% in December 2017, following a 2% decline in November 2017. This was above economists' expectations of a 0.5% increase. The main drivers of the increase were increases in transportation equipment (up 3%) and primary metals (up 2%). Shipments decreased 0.4%, while inventories increased 0%. Backlogs decreased 1%.Overall, the December 2017 Durable Goods Orders report showed that there was some improvement in manufacturing activity towards the end of last year despite declines seen earlier in the year. This suggests that conditions may have started to stabilize somewhat heading into 2018.