U.S. Census Bureau reports manufacturing and trade inventories and sales July 2008.
Sales. The U.S. Census Bureau announced that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers' shipments for July, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,219.5 billion, up 0.5 percent (±0.2%) from June 2008 and up 8.8 percent (±0.4%) from July 2007.
Inventories. Manufacturers' and trade inventories, adjusted for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $1,507.1 billion, up 1.1 percent (±0.1%) from June 2008 and up 6.4 percent (±0.5%) from July 2007.
Inventories/Sales Ratio. The total business inventories/sales ratio based on seasonally adjusted data at the end of July was 1.24. The July 2007 ratio was 1.26.