Wholesale revenues in February were $464.9 billion, up 9.9 percent from February 2016 and up 0.6 percent from January, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
February sales of durable goods were up 0.4 percent from last month and up 7.3 percent from a year ago. Sales of electrical and electronic goods were up 0.7 percent from last month and sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum were up 4.3 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.7 percent from January and up 12.4 percent from last February. Sales of farm product raw materials were up 3.4 percent from last month and sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 0.6 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $594.2 billion at the end of February, up 0.4 percent from the revised January level. Total inventories are up 3.2 percent from the revised February 2016 level. February inventories of durable goods were up 0.2 percent from last month and up 1.7 percent from a year ago. Inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum were up 1.8 percent from last month, while inventories of furniture and home furnishings were up 0.4 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.7 percent from January. Inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 1.2 percent from last month and inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 2.8 percent
The February inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.28. The February 2016 ratio was 1.36.
