The combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for May, adjusted for seasonal and trading day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,615.9 billion, which was down 0.3% from April but was up 28.7% from the same month a year ago, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Manufacturers’ and trade inventories for May, adjusted for seasonal and trading day differences but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $2,039.3 billion, up 0.5% April 2021 and 4.5% from May 2020.

The total business inventories/sales ratio based on seasonally adjusted data at the end of May was 1.26. The May 2020 ratio was 1.55.