Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories Down 0.2% in June
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that June 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 $402.9 billion, down 1.4 percent (+/-0.5) from the revised May level, but were up 3.1 percent (+/-0.9%) from the June 2011 level. The May preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.1 billion or 0.3 percent. June sales of durable goods were down 0.7 percent (+/-0.9%)* from last month, but were up 5.7 percent (+/-1.1%) from a year ago. Sales of machinery, equipment, and supplies were down 2.8 percent from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were down 1.9 percent (+/-0.7%) from May, but were up 0.9 percent (+/-1.1%)* from last June. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 5.3 percent from last month and sales of farm product raw materials were down 2.8 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $481.9 billion at the end of June, down 0.2 percent (+/-0.4%)* from the revised May level, but were up 5.3 percent (+/-1.1%) from the June 2011 level. The May preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.4 billion or 0.3 percent. June inventories of durable goods were up 0.2 percent (+/-0.4%)* from last month and were up 9.1 percent (+/-1.1%) from a year ago. Inventories of hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies were up 1.8 percent from last month. Inventories of nondurable goods were down 0.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from May, but were up 0.2 percent (+/-1.8%)* from last June. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were down 8.7 percent from last month and inventories of beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages were down 2.3 percent.
The June inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.20. The June 2011 ratio was 1.17.
Posted: August 9, 2012 Thursday 10:00 AM