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 April 2007 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 $351.9 billion, up 1.3 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised March level and were up 8.8 percent (+/-1.3%) from the April 2006 level. The March preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.1 billion or 0.3 percent.

April sales of durable goods were up 0.8 percent (+/-1.0%)* from last month and were up 7.8 percent (+/-2.0%) from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies were up 2.7 percent. April sales of nondurable goods were up 1.8 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month and were up 9.7 percent (+/-2.0%) from last year. Compared to last month, sales of petroleum and petroleum products increased 6.7 percent.

Inventories

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers'' sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $394.5 billion at the end of April, up 0.3 percent (+/-0.3%) from last month and were up 7.1 percent (+/-1.8%) from a year ago. The March preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods decreased 0.5 percent (+/- 0.3%) from last month, but were up 5.2 percent (+/-2.3%) from last April. Inventories of lumber and other construction materials decreased 1.8 percent from last month and inventories of electrical and electronic goods decreased 0.8 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 1.6 percent (+/-0.5%) from March and were up 10.4 percent (+/-3.5%) compared to last April. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 6.3 percent from last month and inventories of drug and druggists'' sundries were up 2.5 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio

The April inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.12. The April 2006 ratio was 1.14.


Available at:

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