The U.S. Census Bureau announced April 9 that February 2010 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 $338.7 billion, up 0.8 percent (+/-0.7 percent), from the revised January level and were up 9.8 percent (+/-1.2 percent) from the February 2009 level. The January preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.0 billion, or 0.3 percent. February sales of durable goods were up 0.2 percent (+/-0.9 percent) from last month and were up 6.5 percent (+/-1.4 percent) from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 2.4 percent, while sales of hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies were down 3.1 percent. Sales of non-durable goods were up 1.4 percent (+/-1.1 percent) from last month and were up 12.6 percent (+/-1.8 percent) from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 3.7 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 $393.5 billion at the end of February, up 0.6 percent (+/-0.5 percent) from the revised January level, but were down 7.4 percent (+/-1.1 percent) from a year ago. The January preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.0 billion, or 0.3 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 0.5 percent (+/-0.7 percent)* from last month, but were down 12.3 percent (+/-1.2 percent) from last February. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 2.5 percent from last month and inventories of lumber and other construction materials were up 2.0 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 0.8 percent (+/-0.5 percent) from January and were up 0.7 percent (+/-1.8 percent) compared to last February. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 3.1 percent from last month and inventories of chemicals and allied products were up 2.9 percent.
Inventories/Sales Ratio: The February inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.16. The February 2009 ratio was 1.38.
