Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories up 0.5% in February
|
The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that February 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 $436.1 billion, up 0.7 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised January level and were up 3.1 percent (+/-1.6%) from the February 2013 level. The January preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.1 billion. February sales of durable goods were up 0.1 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 2.9 percent (+/-1.1%) from a year ago. Sales of nondurable goods were up 1.2 percent (+/-0.5%) from January and were up 3.3 percent (+/-2.6%) from last February. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 4.0 percent from last month and sales of beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages were up 1.9 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $518.3 billion at the end of February, up 0.5 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised January level and were up 4.7 percent (+/-0.7%) from the February 2013 level. The January preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent. February inventories of durable goods were up 0.7 percent (+/-0.4%) from last month and were up 5.9 percent (+/-1.1%) from a year ago. Inventories of professional and commercial equipment and supplies were up 1.4 percent from last month and inventories of machinery, equipment, and supplies were up 1.4 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.1 percent (+/-0.5%) from January and were up 2.9 percent (+/-1.2%) from last February. Inventories of farm product raw materials were up 2.7 percent from last month, while inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were down 2.6 percent.
The February inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.19. The February 2013 ratio was 1.17.
Posted: April 9, 2014 Wednesday 10:00 AM