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Economy

Wholesale Inventories Rise Slower Than Expected

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By Chris Lange Published
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The U.S. Census Bureau released the numbers for the monthly wholesale report for July 2014. The total inventories only rose 0.1%, against a Dow Jones and Bloomberg consensus estimates of 0.5%. This compares to the previous month’s readings at 0.3%. Overall the inventory gain in July was the smallest monthly gain since July of 2013.

Sales signaled a strong increase in July with a reading of 0.7%. This would pull the stock-to-sales ratio down slightly to a lean 1.16 from the previous level of 1.17. This ratio is unchanged from the previous year.

These low inventories realize the need for restocking while strong sales imply a strong demand from the retail sector.

Wholesale inventories of farm products, computer equipment and petroleum products fell sharply in the July.

Apparel, autos and drugs rose to meet strong retail demand due to increased manufacturing output.

This report could act as a drag against the business inventories report on Friday. The consensus is currently calling for a 0.4% build.

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About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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