• U.S. Wholesale Trade: Sales and Inventories - August 2012

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Sales: The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that August 2012 sales of merchant wholesalers were $405.4 billion, up 0.9 percent (+/-0.7) from the revised July level and were up 2.1 percent (+/-0.9%) from the August 2011 level. August sales of durable goods were up 0.9 percent (+/-0.9%) from last month and were up 1.0 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. Sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 2.0 percent from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.9 percent (+/-0.9%)* from July and were up 3.0 percent (+/-1.2%) from last August. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 5.6 percent from last month. Inventories: Total inventories of merchant wholesalers were $487.5 billion at the end of August, up 0.5 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised July level and were up 5.3 percent (+/-1.1%) from the August 2011 level. August inventories of durable goods were up 0.1 percent (+/-0.2%) from last month and were up 7.5 percent (+/-0.9%) from a year ago. Inventories of machinery, equipment, and supplies were up 1.7 percent from last month, while inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were down 5.1 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 1.2 percent (+/-0.7%) from July and were up 2.3 percent (+/-2.1%) from last August. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 9.4 percent from last month and inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 1.5 percent. Inventories/Sales Ratio: The August inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers was 1.20. The August 2011 ratio was 1.17. Source: USDOC-Census

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