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 June 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 $411.2 billion, up 2.8 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised May level and were up 17.0 percent (+/-1.0%) from the June 2007 level. The May preliminary estimate was revised upward $2.4 billion or 0.6 percent. June sales of durable goods were up 1.3 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 9.0 percent (+/-1.7%) from a year ago.

Compared to last month, sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 3.4 percent and sales of lumber and other construction materials were up 1.9 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were up 4.1 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 24.3 percent (+/-1.7%) from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 12.7 percent from last month and sales of chemcials and allied products were up 5.3 percent.

Inventories.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $435.9 billion at the end of June, up 1.1 percent (+/-0.3%) from the revised May level and were up 9.5 percent
(+/-1.2%) from a year ago. The May preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 0.6 percent (+/-0.5%) from last month and were up 6.2 percent (+/-1.2%) from last June. Inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum were up 4.2 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 1.8 percent (+/-0.7%) from May and were up 15.1 percent (+/-2.0%) compared to last June. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 8.3 percent from last month and inventories of farm products raw materials were up 7.1 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio.

The June inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.06. The June 2007 ratio was 1.13.


Available at:

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