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 August 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 $360.9 billion, up 0.4 percent (+/-0.5%)from the revised July level and were up 6.8 percent (+/-1.3%) from the August 2006 level. The July preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.5 billion or 0.1 percent. August sales of durable goods were up 0.9 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 4.4 percent (+/-2.0%) from a year ago. August sales of nondurable goods were down 0.1 percent (+/-0.7%)* from last month, but were up 9.1 percent (+/-2.0%) from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 6.1 percent from last month, while sales of farm product raw materials were up 9.5 percent.

Inventories.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $399.0 billion at the end of August, up 0.1 percent (+/-0.3%)* from the revised July level and were up 4.4 percent
(+/-1.8%) from a year ago. The July preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.1 billion. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 0.4 percent (+/-0.5%)* from last month and were up 1.9 percent (+/-2.3%)* from last August. Inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 2.4 percent from last month, while inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 1.9 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods decreased 0.4 percent (+/-0.5%)* from July, but were up 8.9 percent (+/-3.6%) compared to last August. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were down 3.3 percent from last month, while inventories of farm product raw materials increased 5.3 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio.

The August inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.11. The August 2006 ratio was 1.13.


Available at:

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