Wholesale revenues in April were $434.2 billion, down 2.6 percent from April 2015 and up 1 percent from March, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
April sales of durable goods were up 0.4 percent from last month, but were down 1.4 percent from a year ago. Sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 1.6 percent from last month, while sales of electrical and electronic goods were down 2.7 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 1.5 percent from March, but were down 3.8 percent from last April. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 9 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 $587.9 billion at the end of April, up 0.6 percent from the revised March level and were up 0.9 percent from the April 2015 level. The March preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.7 billion or 0.1 percent. April inventories of durable goods were up 0.2 percent from last month, but were down 1.8 percent from a year ago. Inventories of lumber and other construction materials were up 1.3 percent from last month, while inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were down 3 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 1.3 percent from March and were up 5.5 percent from last April. Inventories of farm product raw materials were up 7.5 percent from last month and inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 2.2 percent.
The April inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.35. The April 2015 ratio was 1.31.
For more detail, download the PDF below.