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

Sales

March sales of durable goods increased 0.3 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 9.2 percent (+/-1.3%) from a year ago. Sales of professional and commercial equipment and supplies increased 2.6 percent from last month, while motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were down 2.6 percent. March sales of nondurable goods increased 1.1 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 10.7 percent (+/-1.5%) from last year. Sales of farm product raw materials grew 6.4 percent from last month and sales of petroleum and petroleum products increased 3.9 percent.

Inventories

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $366.7 billion at the end of March, up 0.2 percent (+/-0.3%) from last month, and were up 6.3 percent (+/-1.0%) from a year ago. The February preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods increased 0.2 percent (+/-0.5%) from February and were up 6.7 percent (+/-1.3%) from last March. Inventories of professional and commercial equipment and supplies decreased 1.7 percent from last month. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 0.3 percent (+/-0.5%) from February and were up 5.7 percent (+/-1.2%) compared to last March. Inventories of beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages increased 2.9 percent from last month, while inventories of farm product raw materials fell 3.0 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio

The March inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.16. The March 2005 ratio was 1.20.

Available at:

http://www.census.gov/mwts/www/currentwhl.html