The US Census Bureau announced today the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for May, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,350.2 billion, down 0.2 percent (±0.2 percent) from April 2017, but was up 5.1 percent (±0.4 percent) from May 2016
Manufacturers’ and trade inventories, adjusted for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $1,859.7 billion, up 0.3 percent (±0.1 percent) from April 2017 and were up 2.4 percent (±0.3 percent) from May 2016.
The total business inventories/sales ratio based on seasonally adjusted data at the end of May was 1.38. The May 2016 ratio was 1.41.