Sales. The U.S. Census Bureau announced that April 2006 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 $319.9 billion, up 1.3 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised March level and were up 10.1 percent (+/-1.0%) from the April 2005 level. The March preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.7 billion or 0.2 percent. April sales of durable goods decreased 0.3 percent (+/-0.8%)* from last month, but were up 7.3 percent (+/-1.3%) from a year ago. Sales of hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies increased 2.2 percent from last month. April sales of nondurable goods increased 2.9 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 12.8 percent (+/-1.5%) from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products grew 8.7 percent from last month.
Inventories. Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $371.3 billion at the end of April, up 0.9 percent (+/-0.3%) from last month, and were up 6.6 percent (+/-1.0%) from a year ago. The March preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.1 billion or 0.3 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods increased 1.2 percent (+/-0.5%) from March and were up 7.8 percent (+/-1.3%) from last April. Inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies increased 2.8 percent from last month and metals and minerals, except petroleum were up 2.4 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 0.5 percent (+/-0.5%)* from March and were up 4.8 percent (+/-1.2%) compared to last April. Inventories of drugs and druggists’ sundries increased 1.1 percent from last month.
Inventories/Sales Ratio. The April inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.16. The April 2005 ratio was 1.20.
For a breakdown of sales and inventory by industry, click here.
Other important economic data updated monthly at mdm.com – click here to access the Databank.
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