The US Census Bureau announced today the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for October, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,400.8 billion, up 0.6 percent (±0.2 percent) from September 2017 and up 6.5 percent (±0.3 percent) from October 2016.
Manufacturers’ and trade inventories, adjusted for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $1,885.7 billion, down 0.1 percent (±0.1 percent) from September 2017, but up 3.5 percent (±0.3 percent) from October 2016.
The total business inventories/sales ratio based on seasonally adjusted data at the end of October was 1.35. The October 2016 ratio was 1.39.