Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories Up 0.6% in October
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that October 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 $408.5 billion, down 1.2 percent (+/-0.7) from the revised September level, but were up 2.3 percent (+/-1.1%) from the October 2011 level. The September preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.5 billion or 0.1 percent. October sales of durable goods were down 0.9 percent (+/-1.1%) from last month, but were up 1.5 percent (+/-1.4%) from a year ago. Sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were down 3.1 percent from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were down 1.4 percent (+/-1.2%) from September, but were up 3.0 percent (+/-1.4%) from last October. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 5.7 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 $497.1 billion at the end of October, up 0.6 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised September level and were up 6.6 percent (+/-1.1%) from the October 2011 level. The September preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.2 billion. October inventories of durable goods were up 1.0 percent (+/-0.4%) from last month and were up 8.4 percent (+/-1.1%) from a year ago. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 3.0 percent from last month and inventories of lumber and other construction materials were up 1.8 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were down 0.1 percent (+/-0.9%) from September, but were up 4.0 percent (+/-2.1%) from last October. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were down 3.1 percent from last month.
The October inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.22. The October 2011 ratio was 1.17.
Posted: December 11, 2012 Tuesday 10:00 AM