The U.S. Census Bureau announced Thursday that April 2016 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 $434.2 billion, up 1.0 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised March level, but were down 2.6 percent (+/-1.2%) from the April 2015 level. The March preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.7 billion or 0.2 percent.
April sales of durable goods were up 0.4 percent (+/- 0.7%)* from last month, but were down 1.4 percent (+/-1.8%)* from a year ago. Sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 1.6 percent from last month, while sales of electrical and electronic goods were down 2.7 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 1.5 percent (+/-0.5%) from March, but were down 3.8 percent (+/-1.6%) from last April. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 9.0 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 $587.9 billion at the end of April, up 0.6 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised March level and were up 0.9 percent (+/-1.4%)* from the April 2015 level. The March preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.7 billion or 0.1 percent.
April inventories of durable goods were up 0.2 percent (+/-0.4%)* from last month, but were down 1.8 percent (+/-1.4%) from a year ago. Inventories of lumber and other construction materials were up 1.3 percent from last month, while inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were down 3.0 percent. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 1.3 percent (+/-0.5%) from March and were up 5.5 percent (+/-1.9%) from last April. Inventories of farm product raw materials were up 7.5 percent from last month and inventories of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 2.2 percent.
Inventories/Sales Ratio
The April inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.35. The April 2015 ratio was 1.31.