October sales of durable goods were up 0.8% from last month, but were down 11.1% from a year ago. Sales of computer and computer peripheral equipment and software were up 5.8% from last month and sales of electrical and electronic goods were up 5.3%. Sales of nondurable goods were up 1.6% from last month, but were down 8.3% from last year. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 5.9% from last month and sales of farm product raw materials were up 5.1%.

 

Total inventories were $379.6 billion at the end of October, up 0.3% from September, but were down 13.5% from a year ago. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were down 0.4% from last month and were down 16.7% from last October. Inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 1.5% from last month, while motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 1.7%.

 

End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods were up 1.5% from September, but down 8.1% compared to last October. Inventories of farm product raw materials were up 11.4% from last month and inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were up 4.6%.

 

The October inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.16. The October 2008 ratio was 1.22.

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