File: Wholesale trade sales and inventories. (Photo: Bureau of Labor Statistics/ BLS)
The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released wholesale trade statistics showing sales and inventories continued to build solidly in September, meeting expectations.
Total wholesale inventories — or, merchant wholesalers excluding manufacturers’ sales branches and offices — came in at $609.5 billion at the end of September, a 0.3% (±0.2%) gain from the revised August level. The median forecast called for a 0.3% gain.
Total inventories rose 4.6% (±0.7%) from the revised August 2016 level. The August 2017 to September 2017 percent change was unrevised down slightly from the advance estimate.
Sales were $480.5 billion, up 1.3% (±0.4%) from the revised August reading and are up 4.6% (±1.1%) from the September 2016 level. The August 2017 to August 2017 percent change was unrevised.
The inventories/sales ratio for September based on seasonally adjusted data was 1.27. The September 2016 ratio was 1.32.
