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Wholesale Inventories Up 0.6% in November
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that November 2012 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 $419.3 billion, up 2.3 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised October level and were up 5.6 percent (+/-0.7%) from the November 2011 level. The October preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.3 billion or 0.3 percent. November sales of durable goods were up 2.7 percent (+/-1.1%) from last month and were up 5.1 percent (+/- 1.1%) from a year ago. Sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 2.8 percent from last month and sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 2.8 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 2.0 percent (+/-0.7%) from October and were up 6.0 percent (+/-0.9%) from last November. Sales of farm product raw materials were up 7.8 percent from last month and sales of apparel, piece goods, and notions were up 5.0 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $498.9 billion at the end of November, up 0.6 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised October level and were up 7.0 percent (+/-1.2%) from the November 2011 level. The October preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.0 billion or 0.2 percent. November inventories of durable goods were up 0.4 percent (+/-0.4%) from last month and were up 8.5 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Inventories of machinery, equipment, and supplies were up 1.0 percent from last month. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.8 percent (+/-0.7%) from October and were up 4.8 percent (+/-2.1%) from last November. Inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 4.2 percent from last month and inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 1.3 percent.
The November inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.19. The November 2011 ratio was 1.17.
Posted: January 10, 2013 Thursday 10:00 AM