MAR. BUSINESS INVENTORIES UP 0.1%, SALES UP 1%
Mar. Business Inventories were up 0.1% vs. an expected gain of 0.4% and against and downwardly revised 0.5% increase in Feb. Sales in Mar. were up 1% from an upwardly revised 1% decrease in Feb. The Mar. Inventor-To-Sales ratio was 1.27 from 1.28 in Feb.
Retailers saw a 0.2% increase in sales after a 0.5% decrease in Feb. Retail sales year-over-year in Mar. were up 1.9%. Mar. Retail inventories fell 0.5% from a downwardly revised 0.1% Feb. decrease. Retail inventories were up 2.4% year-over-year from up 3% year-over-year in Feb. The Inventory-To-Sales ration for retail stood at 1.47 in Mar. from 1.48 in Feb.
Mar. Manufacturer sales increased 1.1% from an upwardly revised 1.9% Feb. decrease. Mar. Manufacturer inventories increased 0.9% from an upwardly revised 0.7% increase in Feb.
Mar. Motor vehicle and part’s dealer’s sales fell 0.5% while inventories fell 0.9%. Sales for building materials, garden equipment and supplies fell 1.5% in Mar. Department store sales fell 0.4% in Mar. while clothing sales increased 0.7% after declining 0.9% in Feb.