Sales
May 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 $325.5 billion, up 1.6 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised April level and were up 12.1 percent (+/-1.0%) from the May 2005 level. The April preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.5 billion or 0.1 percent. May sales of durable goods increased 2.6 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 10.9 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, increased 4.6 percent from last month and sales of electrical and electrical goods increased 3.9 percent. May sales of nondurable goods increased 0.7 percent (+/-0.8%)* from last month and were up 13.3 percent (+/-1.5%) from last year. Sales of paper and paper products grew 3.3 percent from last month and sales of drugs and druggists’ sundries increased 2.2 percent.
Inventories
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $375.8 billion at the end of May, up 0.8 percent (+/-0.3%) from last month and were up 7.8 percent (+/-1.0%) from a year ago. The April preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.4 billion or 0.4 percent.  
End-of-month inventories of durable goods increased 0.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from April and were up 8.7 percent (+/-1.3%) from last May. Inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum, increased 2.9 percent from last month and inventories of furniture and home furnishings were up 2.7 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 0.9 percent (+/-0.5%) from April and were up 6.2 percent (+/-1.2%) compared to last May. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products grew 7.1 percent from last month and inventories of farm product raw materials increased 3.5 percent.
Inventories/Sales Ratio
May inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.15. The May 2005 ratio was 1.20.

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