Railcar Orders' Biggest Drop Since 1980s Hints at U.S. Slump
- North American orders plummet 83 percent to 7,374 units
- Wells Fargo says `healthy' level is 10,000-15,000 a quarter
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North American railcar orders plummeted the most in at least 27 years as railroads shipped less oil and sand used for drilling, adding to concern over a U.S. industrial production slowdown.
Third-quarter orders for new freight cars plunged 83 percent from a year earlier to 7,374, according to the Railway Supply Institute. That’s the biggest decline since at least 1988 and the lowest number for a quarter since 2010. A “healthy” three-month number is 10,000 to 15,000, Allison Poliniak-Cusic, a Wells Fargo & Co. analyst, said in a note Tuesday.