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Wholesale Inventories up 0.5% in August
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that August 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 $428.4 billion, up 0.6 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised July level and were up 5.6 percent (+/-2.8%) from the August 2012 level. The July preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.2 billion. August sales of durable goods were up 0.9 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month and were up 5.4 percent (+/-3.7%) from a year ago. Sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 3.1 percent from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.3 percent (+/-1.1%) from July and were up 5.7 percent (+/-4.2%) from last August. Sales of chemicals and allied products were up 3.3 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 $503.0 billion at the end of August, up 0.5 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised July level and were up 2.5 percent (+/-4.7%) from the August 2012 level. The July preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent. August inventories of durable goods were up 0.6 percent (+/-0.4%) from last month and were up 5.3 percent (+/-5.4%) from a year ago. Inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 2.4 percent from last month and inventories of electrical and electronic goods were up 1.1 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.5 percent (+/-0.4%) from July, but were down 1.6 percent (+/-5.6%) from last August. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 2.8 percent from last month and inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 2.4 percent.
The August inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.17. The August 2012 ratio was 1.21.
Posted: October 25, 2013 Friday 10:00 AM