Highlights
Inventories at the wholesale level are rising incrementally and in line with sales at the wholesale level. Inventories rose 0.3 percent in March with sales up 0.5 percent to keep the sector's stock-to-sales ratio unchanged for a fourth month in a row at a lean and healthy 1.17. The total picture for first-quarter inventories, which also includes inventories in the factory and retail sectors, is nearly complete and looks to show a slightly increasing rate of quarter-to-quarter build that may however slightly exceed underlying sales growth. The final numbers will be known next Tuesday with the business inventories report for March.

Market Consensus before announcement
Wholesale inventories gained 0.9 percent in February. This is high but the sales rate rose an even stronger 1.2 percent. The stock-to-sales ratio was unchanged for a third straight month at 1.17.

2012 Release Schedule

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