Distributive Trade Sales & Manufacturers’ Shipment Flat in May

Washington, DC, June 14, 2017-The combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for April was estimated at $1,352.0 billion, virtually unchanged from March 2017, but was up 5.6%  from April 2016, according to the Commerce Department.

Manufacturers’ and trade inventories were estimated at an end-of-month level of $1,854.2 billion, down 0.2% from March 2017, but were up 2.3% from April 2016.

The total business inventories/sales ratio based on seasonally adjusted data at the end of April was 1.37. The April 2016 ratio was 1.42.