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 September 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 $366.8 billion, up 1.3 percent from the revised August level and were up 9.9 percent (+/-1.3%) from the September 2006 level. The August preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.3 billion or 0.4 percent. September sales of durable goods were up 0.3 percent (+/-0.8%)* from last month and were up 4.6 percent (+/-2.0%) from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 4.1 percent, while sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 3.7 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 2.1 percent (+/-0.7%) from last month and were up 15.1 percent (+/-2.0%) from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 7.7 percent from last month, and sales of farm product raw materials were up 5.2 percent.

Inventories.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $404.5 billion at the end of September, up 0.8 percent (+/-0.3%) from the revised August level and were up 5.2 percent (+/-1.8%) from a year ago. The August preliminary estimate was revised upward $2.3 billion, or 0.6 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 0.7 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 1.3 percent (+/-2.3%)* from last September. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 2.0 percent from last month. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 1.0 percent (+/-0.5%) from August and were up 12.2 percent (+/-3.6%) compared to last September. Inventories of farm product raw materials were up 9.6 percent from last month.

Inventories/Sales Ratio.

The September inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.10. The September 2006 ratio was 1.15.


Available at:

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