Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories up 0.7% in August
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that August 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 $453.9 billion, down 0.7 percent (+/-0.4) from the revised July level, but were up 5.8 percent (+/-1.8%) from the August 2013 level. The July preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.6 billion or 0.3 percent. August sales of durable goods were up 0.1 percent (+/-0.5%)* from last month and were up 7.0 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum were up 1.6 percent from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were down 1.3 percent (+/-0.5%) from July, but were up 4.7 percent (+/-3.0%) from last August. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 4.2 percent from last month and sales of farm product raw materials were down 3.8 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $538.0 billion at the end of August, up 0.7 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised July level and were up 7.9 percent (+/-0.7%) from the August 2013 level. The July preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.7 billion or 0.1 percent. August inventories of durable goods were up 0.8 percent (+/-0.4%) from last month and were up 8.5 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 4.5 percent from last month and inventories of lumber and other construction materials were up 1.5 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were were up 0.5% (+/-0.4%) from July and were up 6.9 percent (+/-1.2%) from last August. Inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 1.6 percent from last month.
The August inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.19. The August 2013 ratio was 1.16.
Posted: October 9, 2014 Thursday 10:00 AM