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 October 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 $369.8 billion, up 0.7 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised September level and were up 11.5 percent (+/-1.3%) from the October 2006 level. The September preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.4 billion or 0.1 percent. October sales of durable goods were up 0.6 percent (+/-0.8%)* from last month and were up 5.3 percent (+/-2.0%) from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 4.3 percent and sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were up 3.8 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.7 percent (+/-0.7%)* from last month and were up 17.7 percent (+/-2.0%) from last year. Sales of drugs and druggists'' sundries were up 4.0 percent from last month and sales of chemicals and allied products were up 2.9 percent.

Inventories.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $403.7 billion at the end of October, virtually unchanged (+/-0.3%)* from the revised September level and were up 4.6 percent (+/-1.8%) from a year ago. The September preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.6 billion, or 0.2 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were down 0.1 percent (+/-0.5%)* from last month, but were up 0.5 percent (+/-2.1%)* from last October. Inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 1.9 percent from last month, while inventories of electrical and electronic goods were up 0.9 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 0.1 percent (+/-0.5%)* from September and were up 12.1 percent (+/-3.6%) compared to last October. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 3.7 percent from last month.

Inventories/Sales Ratio.

The October inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.09. The October 2006 ratio was 1.16.


Available at:

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