Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories up 0.8% in November
|
The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that November 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 $452.2 billion, down 0.3 percent (+/-0.5%)* from the revised October level, but were up 2.4 percent (+/-1.2%) from the November 2013 level. The October preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.0 billion or 0.2 percent. November sales of durable goods were up 0.2 percent (+/-0.7%)* from last month and were up 6.3 percent (+/-1.4%) from a year ago. Sales of nondurable goods were down 0.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from October and were down 0.8 percent (+/-2.1%)* from last November. Sales of chemicals and allied products were down 4.1 percent from last month and sales of beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages were down 2.1 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $547.2 billion at the end of November, up 0.8 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised October level and were up 7.1 percent (+/-0.9%) from the November 2013 level. The October preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.9 billion or 0.2 percent. November inventories of durable goods were up 0.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 8.9 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 2.6 percent from last month and inventories of hardware and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies were up 1.7 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.7 percent (+/-0.7%)* from October and were up 4.4 percent (+/-1.1%) from last November. Inventories of farm product raw materials were up 5.7 percent from last month and inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 2.6 percent.
The November inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.21. The November 2013 ratio was 1.16.
Posted: January 9, 2015 Friday 10:00 AM