The following is the unedited transcript of the news release from the U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce.


Sales.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that March 2008 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 $384.3 billion, up 1.6 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised February level and were up 12.6 percent (+/-1.2%) from the March 2007 level. The February preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.9 billion or 0.2 percent. March sales of durable goods were up 2.3 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 4.8 percent (+/-1.8%) from a year ago. Compared to last month, motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 4.5 percent and sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were up 3.5 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 1.0 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month and were up 20.1 percent (+/-1.7%) from last year. Sales of farm product raw materials were up 9.4 percent from last month and sales of beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages were up 2.7 percent.

Inventories.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $420.8 billion at the end of March, down 0.1 percent (+/-0.3%)* from the revised February level, but were up 6.8
percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. The February preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.8 billion, or 0.2 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 0.3 percent (+/-0.5%)* from last month and were up 2.9 percent (+/-1.2%) from last March. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 3.0 percent from last month, but inventories of lumber and other construction materials were down 1.4 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods decreased 0.7 percent (+/-0.5%) from February, but were up 13.7 percent (+/- 2.0%) compared to last March. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were down 5.6 percent from last month and inventories of farm product raw materials were down 3.9 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio.

The March inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.09. The March 2007 ratio was 1.15.


Available at:

http://www2.census.gov/wholesale/pdf/mwts/currentwhl.pdf