Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories up 0.5% in May
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that May 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 $453.2 billion, up 0.7 percent (+/-0.5) from the revised April level and were up 6.6 percent (+/-1.4%) from the May 2013 level. The April preliminary estimate was virtually unchanged. May sales of durable goods were up 0.2 percent (+/-0.7%)* from last month and were up 5.9 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were up 3.2 percent from last month, while sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were down 1.6 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 1.1 percent (+/-0.5%) from April and were up 7.2 percent (+/-2.6%) from last May. Sales of farm product raw materials were up 6.6 percent from last month and sales of apparel, piece goods, and notions were up 2.0 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $532.7 billion at the end of May, up 0.5 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised April level and were up 7.9 percent (+/-0.9%) from the May 2013 level. The April preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.5 billion or 0.1 percent. May inventories of durable goods were up 1.0 percent (+/-0.4%) from last month and were up 8.5 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were up 2.1 percent from last month and inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 1.9 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were down 0.3 percent (+/-0.5%)* from April, but were up 6.9 percent (+/-1.1%) from last May. Inventories of farm product raw materials were down 3.2 percent from last month, while inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 2.0 percent.
The May inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.18. The May 2013 ratio was 1.16.
Posted: July 10, 2014 Thursday 10:00 AM