Wholesale revenues in October were $452.2 billion, up 2.2 percent from October 2015 and up 1.4 percent from September, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
October sales of durable goods were up 1.1 percent from last month and up 2.5 percent from a year ago. Sales of electrical and electronic goods were up 2.2 percent from last month and sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum were up 2 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 1.6 percent from September and up 1.9 percent from last October. Sales of farm product raw materials were up 8.3 percent from last month and sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 6.6 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $587.7 billion at the end of October, down 0.4 percent from the revised September level. Total inventories are down 0.4 percent from the revised October 2015 level. October inventories of durable goods were down 0.3 percent from last month and down 2.2 percent from a year ago. Inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum were down 1 percent from last month, while inventories of furniture and home furnishings were up 1.6 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were down 0.4 percent from September, but were up 2.5 percent from last October. Inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were down 3.2 percent from last month, while inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 1.9 percent
The October inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.30. The October 2015 ratio was 1.33.
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