Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories up 0.4% in March
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that March 2013 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 $414.7 billion, down 1.6 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised February level, but were up 1.3 percent (+/-1.1%) from the March 2012 level. The February preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.9 billion or 0.2 percent. March sales of durable goods were down 0.6 percent (+/-0.9%)* from last month, but were up 1.7 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 2.5 percent from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were down 2.5 percent (+/-0.9%) from February, but were up 1.0 percent (+/-1.2%)* from last March. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 7.5 percent from last month and sales of apparel, piece goods, and notions were down 5.5 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $503.1 billion at the end of March, up 0.4 percent (+/-0.4%)* from the revised February level and were up 4.7 percent (+/-1.2%) from the March 2012 level. The February preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.1 billion. March inventories of durable goods were up 0.5 percent (+/-0.4%) from last month and were up 7.2 percent (+/-1.4%) from a year ago. Inventories of hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies were up 2.1 percent from last month and inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 1.2 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.1 percent (+/-0.5%)* from February and were up 1.2 percent (+/-1.4%)* from last March. Inventories of apparel, piece goods, and notions were up 1.7 percent from last month, while inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were down 3.4 percent.
The March inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.21. The March 2012 ratio was 1.17.
Posted: May 9, 2013 Thursday 10:00 AM