PT/MC year-to-date sales up 7.9%

In May, U.S. distributors' year-to-date sales of PT/MC products increased 7.9% as compared to sales for January through May 2003. Sales decreased 7.0% over the previous month and rose 7.9% as compared to May 2003.

Days sales in accounts receivables went up 7.4% over April 2004 and increased 1.0% as compared to the same month last year. Annualized sales to inventory ratio in May was 8.5, compared to 7.9 in 2003.
For May, the confidence level of U.S. distributors rose to 6.2 on a 10-point scale.

Canadian distributors' year-to-date sales of PT/MC products increased 6.2% as compared to sales for January through May 2003. Sales decreased 5.6% over the previous month and gained 0.3% as compared to May 2003.

Days sales in accounts receivables increased 7.0% over April 2004 and decreased 0.7% as compared to the same month last year. Annualized sales to inventory ratio in May was 7.3, compared to 7.2 in 2003.

For May, the confidence level of Canadian distributors remained flat at 6.3 on a 10-point scale.

In May, U.S. manufacturers' sales of PT/MC products increased 7.3% as compared to sales for January through May 2003. Sales went up 0.1% over the previous month and climbed 13.7% as compared to May 2003. As compared to April, sales of unmounted bearings, gear products, and clutches and brakes rose. Sales of mounted bearings, standard industrial motors, variable speed drives, positioning systems/linear motion products, shaft couplings, and mechanical drive systems and other PT products dropped.

Year-to-date orders of PT/MC products from U.S. manufacturers grew 11.6% as compared to 2003. May orders decreased 4.0% over April and climbed 17.9% as compared to May 2003. Annualized sales to inventory ratio in May was 10.1, compared to 7.5 in 2003.

For May, the confidence level of U.S. manufacturers increased to 5.7 on a 10-point scale.

Canadian manufacturers' sales of PT/MC products increased 2.3% as compared to sales for January through May in 2003. Sales decreased 6.8% over the previous month and were down 1.4% as compared to May 2003. As compared to April, sales of gear products and shaft couplings increased. Sales of mounted bearings, unmounted bearings, variable speed drives, mechanical drive systems and other PT products, and clutches and brakes dropped.

For May, the confidence level of Canadian manufacturers fell to 5.4 on a 10-point scale.

The Adobe Acrobat attachment contains selected data charts from the May 2004 Market Outlook Report.

The Market Outlook Report is published monthly by the Power Transmission Distributors Association.

The full report includes month-to-month and year-to-year changes in sales, inventory and accounts receivables data for U.S. and Canadian distributors, as well as a general confidence index. U.S. and Canadian manufacturer data includes a confidence index, as well as sales and order trends for mounted bearings, unmounted bearings, standard industrial motors, variable speed drives, gear products, mechanical drive systems and other PT products, clutches and breaks and shaft couplings.

The report is available by annual subscription via e-mail or mail by contacting +1.312.876.9461 or may be ordered online at www.ptda.org/catalog; PTDA members may download the report at no charge through the Members Only area of the PTDA web site, at www.ptda.org.

Founded in 1960, PTDA is an US-based trade association representing almost 230 power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distributor firms with almost 3,200 locations throughout North America and 14 other countries, as well as over 190 manufacturers that supply the PT/MC industry.

PTDA is a member-driven organization dedicated to advancing distribution and strengthening members to be successful, profitable and competitive in a changing market environment. For more information, visit www.ptda.org.