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 January 2008 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 $387.7 billion, up 2.7 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised December level and were up 15.1 percent (+/-1.2%) from the January 2007 level.

The December preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.7 billion or 0.2 percent. January sales of durable goods were up 2.4 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 5.1 percent (+/-1.8%) from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were up 4.2 percent and sales of furniture and home furnishings were up 3.7 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 3.0 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 24.8 percent (+/-2.0%) from last year. Sales of farm product raw materials were up 16.1 percent from last month and sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 3.5 percent.

Inventories.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $414.8 billion at the end of January, up 0.8 percent (+/-0.3%) from the revised December level and were up 6.4 percent (+/-1.2%) from a year ago. The December preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.1 billion. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 0.6 percent (+/-0.3%) from last month and were up 1.7 percent (+/-1.2%) from last January.

Inventories of furniture and home furnishings were up 1.9 percent from last month and inventories of machinery, equipment, and supplies were up 0.9 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 1.2 percent (+/-0.5%) from December and were up 14.9 percent (+/-2.0%) compared to last January. Inventories of farm product raw materials were up 5.7 percent from last month and inventories of apparel, piece goods, and notions were up 2.1 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio.

The January inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.07. The January 2007 ratio was 1.16.


Available at:

http://www2.census.gov/wholesale/pdf/mwts/currentwhl.pdf