Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories up 1.8% in May
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that May 2011 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 $393.7 billion, down 0.2 percent (+/-0.2%)* from the revised April level, but were up 14.5 percent (+/-1.2%) from the May 2010 level. The April preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.0 billion or 0.3 percent. May sales of durable goods were down 0.7 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month, but were up 8.8 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were down 10.4 percent from last month and sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software, were down 2.6 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.1 percent (+/-0.7%)* from last month and were up 19.2 percent (+/-1.9%) from last year. Sales of farm product raw materials were up 3.8 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 $456.3 billion at the end of May, up 1.8 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised April level and were up 15.5 percent (+/-1.1%) from a year ago. The April preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.1 billion or 0.2 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 1.8 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month and were up 10.9 percent (+/-1.4%) from last May. Inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies, were up 4.7 percent from last month and inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 1.8 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods were up 1.7 percent (+/-0.7%) from April and were up 22.3 percent (+/-2.1%) compared to last May. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 4.2 percent from last month and inventories of apparel, piece goods, and notions were up 3.4 percent.
The May inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.16. The May 2010 ratio was 1.15.
Posted: July 8, 2011 Friday 10:00 AM