Monthly Wholesale Revenues Increase in April

April 2010 sales of merchant wholesalers, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $351.1 billion, up 0.7 percent from the revised March level and were up 16.3 percent from the April 2009 level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The March preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.7 billion or 0.2 percent.

April sales of durable goods were up 2.0 percent from last month and were up 17.7 percent from a year ago. Sales of lumber and other construction materials were up 9.1 percent from last month and sales of electrical and electronic goods were up 3.5 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were down 0.4 percent from last month, but were up 15.1 percent from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 3.5 percent from last month.

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $397.8 billion at the end of April, up 0.4 percent from the revised March level, but were down 3.2 percent from a year ago. The March preliminary estimate was revised upward $1.3 billion or 0.3 percent.

End-of-month inventories of durable goods were up 0.3 percent from last month, but were down 6.7 percent from last April. Inventories of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 3.8 percent from last month, while inventories of hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies were down 0.7 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.7 percent from March and were up 2.4 percent compared to last April. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 6.9 percent from last month and inventories of paper and paper products were up 2.2 percent.

The April inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers' sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.13. The April 2009 ratio was 1.36.

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