Highlights
Wholesale inventories rose 1.3 percent in April, a sharp rise but below a 1.4 percent gain in sales, a combination that pushes down the wholesale inventory/sales ratio back to a record low of 1.09. Inventories of autos backed up, rising 2.5 percent as sales fell 2.4 percent. Farm products show the same pattern with inventories up 4.2 percent and sales down 5.5 percent. Sales of furniture and lumber at the wholesale level were very strong in April as they were for paper & paper products where sales are up 8.1 percent year-on-year. Wholesales goods showing the greatest year-on-year change, boosted by inflation, are petroleum where sales are up 39.9 percent and farm products, up 59.4 percent. Data are all seasonally adjusted.

Today's report is the second set of inventory data on the month which of course is the opening month for the second quarter, and quarter-to-quarter change in inventories is an important piece of GDP. Though wholesale inventories were strong, factory orders, data previously released, were unchanged in April. Retail inventories, the final and deciding piece for the month, will be posted with Thursday's business inventories report.

2008 Release Schedule

Released On: 1/10 2/8 3/10 4/9 5/8 6/6 7/8 8/8 9/9 10/9 11/7 12/10 Released For: Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct