Research >> Economics
Wholesale Inventories down 0.2% in August
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The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that August 2016 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 $444.3 billion, up 0.7 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised July level and were up 0.6 percent (+/-1.2%) from the August 2015 level. The June 2016 to July 2016 percent change was revised from the preliminary estimate of down 0.4 percent (+/-0.4%) to down 0.6 percent (+/-0.4%). August sales of durable goods were down 0.5 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month, but were up 0.7 percent (+/-1.8%) from a year ago. Sales of machinery, equipment, and supplies were down 2.7 percent from July. Sales of nondurable goods were up 2.0 percent (+/-0.7%) from July and were up 0.5 percent (+/-1.8%) from last August. Sales of farm product raw materials were up 6.7 percent from last month and sales of beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages were up 2.2 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $589.1 billion at the end of August, down 0.2 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised July level. Total inventories are down 0.1 percent (+/-1.8%) from the revised August 2015 level. The July 2016 to August 2016 percent change was revised from the advance estimate of down 0.1 percent (+/-0.4%) to down 0.2 percent (+/-0.4%). August inventories of durable goods were up 0.2 percent (+/-0.4%) from last month, but were down 1.9 percent (+/-1.8%) from a year ago. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 1.9 percent from last month. Inventories of nondurable goods were down 0.7 percent (+/-0.5%) from July, but were up 2.8 percent (+/-3.0%) from last August. Inventories of farm product raw materials were down 7.8 percent from last month and inventories of apparel, piece goods, and notions were down 2.1 percent.
The August inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.33. The August 2015 ratio was 1.34.
Posted: October 7, 2016 Friday 10:00 AM