Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories up 0.3% in February
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that February 2015 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 $444.2 billion, down 0.2 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised January level and were down 1.5 percent (+/-1.2%) from the February 2014 level. The January preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.6 billion or 0.3 percent. February sales of durable goods were down 2.4 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month, but were up 3.5 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Sales of electrical and electronic goods were down 5.0 percent from last month and sales of machinery, equipment, and supplies were down 3.4 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 1.9 percent (+/-0.7%) from January, but were down 5.8 percent (+/-1.6%) from last February. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 5.5 percent from last month and sales of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 4.0 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $574.0 billion at the end of February, up 0.3 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised January level and were up 6.1 percent (+/-1.2%) from the February 2014 level. The January preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.0 billion or 0.2 percent. February inventories of durable goods were up 0.3 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 7.6 percent (+/-1.6%) from a year ago. Inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 2.4 percent from last month, while inventories of lumber and other construction materials were down 2.2 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.2 percent (+/-0.4%) from January and were up 3.8 percent (+/-1.6%) from last February. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 2.4 percent from last month, while inventories of chemicals and allied products were down 2.9 percent.
The February inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.29. The February 2014 ratio was 1.20.
Posted: April 9, 2015 Thursday 10:00 AM