by Mike ‘Mish’ Shedlock
Mish Talk
Wholesale trade inventories rose 0.1% for the month compared to Bloomberg Econoday expectations of a 0.2% rise.
Wholesalers held back inventory growth in May, up only 0.1 percent and well under a 0.5 percent rise in sales at the wholesale level. The stock-to-sales ratio is down one notch to 1.35 from 1.36.
Inventories of two very large components — drugs and autos — fell sharply, making for leaner inventories relative to sales for both. In contrast, wholesale inventories of farm products have been on a sharp climb at the same time that sales have been falling, an unfavorable mix that is lifting the stock-to-sales ratio sharply, to 1.56 vs 1.46 in April and 1.30 in March.