Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories up 0.4% in October
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that October 2014 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $454.6 billion, up 0.2 percent (+/-0.9) from the revised September level and were up 4.3 percent (+/-1.4%) from the October 2013 level. The September preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.6 billion or 0.1 percent. October sales of durable goods were up 0.8 percent (+/-1.2%) from last month and were up 6.0 percent (+/-1.4%) from a year ago. Sales of electrical and electronic goods were up 1.9 percent from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were down 0.3 percent (+/-1.1%) from September, but were up 2.8 percent (+/-2.5%) from last October. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 5.8 percent from last month, while sales of farm product raw materials were up 8.0 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $542.0 billion at the end of October, up 0.4 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised September level and were up 6.8 percent (+/-1.1%) from the October 2013 level. The September preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.9 billion or 0.2 percent. October inventories of durable goods were virtually unchanged (+/-0.4%) from last month, but were up 8.5 percent (+/-1.4%) from a year ago. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were down 3.6 percent from last month, while inventories of hardware and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies were up 1.6 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 1.2% (+/-0.7%) from September and were up 4.2 percent (+/-1.2%) from last October. Inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 3.2 percent from last month and inventories of paper and paper products were up 1.6 percent.
The October inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.19. The October 2013 ratio was 1.16.
Posted: December 9, 2014 Tuesday 10:00 PM