Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories down 0.1% in January
|
The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that January 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 $413.1 billion, down 0.1 percent (+/-0.7%) from the revised December level, but were up 7.9 percent (+/-1.1%) from the January 2011 level. The December preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.5 billion or 0.1 percent. January sales of durable goods were down 0.2 percent (+/-1.2%) from last month, but were up 10.2 percent (+/-1.4%) from a year ago. Sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum were down 3.0 percent from last month, while sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 1.7 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were down 0.1 percent (+/-0.9%) from December, but were up 6.1 percent (+/-1.4%) from last January. Sales of paper and paper products were down 3.1 percent from last month.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $475.5 billion at the end of January, up 0.4 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised December level and were up 9.4 percent (+/-1.2%) from the January 2011 level. The December preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.5 billion or 0.1 percent. January inventories of durable goods were up 0.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 10.7 percent (+/-1.9%) from a year ago. Inventories of machinery, epuipment, and supplies were up 1.2 percent from last month and inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum were up 0.9 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were down 0.2 percent (+/-0.5%) from December, but were up 7.6 percent (+/-1.1%) from last January. Inventories of chemicals and allied products were down 2.8 percent from last month, while petroleum and petroleum products were up 2.3 percent.
The January inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.15. The January 2011 ratio was 1.14.
Posted: March 9, 2012 Friday 10:00 AM