Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories up 0.6% in January
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that January 2014 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 $432.6 billion, down 1.9 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised December level, but were up 3.9 percent (+/-1.2%) from the January 2013 level. The December preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.4 billion or 0.3 percent. January sales of durable goods were down 0.4 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month, but were up 3.9 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Sales of nondurable goods were down 3.2 percent (+/-0.5%) from December, but were up 3.9 percent (+/-1.8%) from last January. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 7.5 percent from last month and sales of paper and paper products were down 2.9 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $521.2 billion at the end of January, up 0.6 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised December level and were up 3.6 percent (+/-0.9%) from the January 2013 level. The December preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent. January inventories of durable goods were up 0.4 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 4.9 percent (+/-1.4%) from a year ago. Inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 2.2 percent from last month, while inventories of electrical and electronic goods were down 2.4 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from December and were up 1.8 percent (+/-0.9%) from last January. Inventories of paper and paper products were up 2.8 percent from last month and inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 2.7 percent.
The January inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.20. The January 2013 ratio was 1.21.
Posted: March 11, 2014 Tuesday 10:00 AM