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


MONTHLY WHOLESALE TRADE: SALES AND INVENTORIES
SEPTEMBER 2005

Sales

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that September 2005 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 $311.1 billion, up 2.4 percent (+/-0.7%) from the revised August level and were up 10.5 percent (+/-1.2%) from the September 2004 level. The August preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.3 billion or 0.4 percent. September sales of durable goods increased 0.5 percent (+/-1.0%)* from last month and were up 8.0 percent (+/-1.7%) from a year ago. September sales of nondurable goods increased 4.3 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 13.1 percent (+/-1.5%) from last year. Sales of drugs and druggists’ sundries increased 9.4 percent from last month and sales of petroleum and petroleum products increased 7.5 percent.

Inventories

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $356.5 billion at the end of September, up 0.6 percent (+/-0.3%) from last month, and were up 8.0 percent (+/-1.0%) from a year ago. The August preliminary estimate
was revised downward $0.1 billion. End-of-month inventories of durable goods increased 0.3 percent (+/-0.5%)* from August and were up 7.3 percent (+/-1.2%) from last September. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and supplies increased 3.8 percent, while inventories of lumber and other construction materials were down 2.7 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 1.2 percent (+/-0.7%) from August and were up 9.1 percent (+/-1.5%) compared to last September. Inventories of petroleum and
petroleum products increased 3.8 percent from last month and inventories of drugs and druggists’ sundries were up 2.6 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio

The September inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.15. The September 2004 ratio was 1.17.



Available at: http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/mwts0509.html