• U.S. Business Sales, Inventories – Increased in August 2012

---

Sales. The combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for August, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,246.6 billion, up 0.5 percent (±0.2%) from July 2012 and up 3.1percent (±0.3%) from August 2011. Inventories. Manufacturers’ and trade inventories, adjusted for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $1,601.7 billion, up 0.6 percent (±0.1%) from July 2012 and up 5.3 percent (±0.4%) from August 2011. Inventories/Sales Ratio. The total business inventories/sales ratio based on seasonally adjusted data at the end of August was 1.28. The August 2011 ratio was 1.26. Source: USDOC-Census

---