US July Business Inventories Rise 0.8%; Retail Up 1.1% | ForexLive

?Total Business Inventories Excluding Retail Auto Rose 0.6%
?Retail Inventories Ex Auto Up 0.5%; Retail Categories Generally Up
?Business Sales Rise 0.9% In July, Inventory/Sales Ratio Down To 1.28

By Kevin Kastner

WASHINGTON (MNI) ? The value of business inventories rose 0.8% to
another record high level in July, with retail inventories up 1.1% to
add to inventory gains at the factory and wholesale levels already
announced, data released Friday morning by the Commerce Department
showed.

Analysts in a Market News International survey had expected
business inventories to rise only 0.4%. Factory inventories were already
reported up 0.5% in the month, while wholesale inventories rose 0.7%.

Overall business inventories would have still been up 0.6% in July
if a sharp rise in retail motor vehicle inventories was excluded, an MNI
calculation showed.

Retail motor vehicle and parts inventories rose 2.7% as sales were
up only 0.1% that month. The remaining retail inventories categories
combined for a 0.5% increase in July.

There were retail inventory gains in the building materials, food
and beverage, clothing, and general merchandise categories. Furniture
store inventories declined 0.7%. while department store inventories fell
0.4% despite being part of the general merchandise category?s large
rise.

An MNI calculation of retail inventories not included in the
published categories shows a 0.6% rise in July after falling 0.1% in the
previous month.

Business sales rose 0.9% in July, with retail sales excluding food
services up 0.7% in the month. Wholesale sales were already reported
down 0.1%, but manufacturing shipments, which are equal to sales in this
report, rose 2.0%.

Business sales were up from a year ago, 3.7% ahead of their July
2011 level before seasonal adjustment and up 2.8% after seasonal
adjustment.

At the same time, July business inventories were 5.3% above their
year-ago levels before seasonal adjustment and up 5.4% after seasonal
adjustment.

As a result of the larger sales rise in July compared to the
inventory increase, the inventory-to-sales ratio fell back to 1.28 after
rising to 1.29 in June. The July ratio was still well above the 1.25
ratio in July 2011. Before seasonal adjustment, the ratio was 1.31 in
July, up from 1.24 in June and 1.29 in July 2011.

** MNI Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **

[TOPICS: MAUDS$,MT$$$$,M$U$$$,MAUDR$]

Source: http://www.forexlive.com/blog/2012/09/14/us-july-business-inventories-rise-0-8-retail-up-1-1/

conocophillips octomom dan savage new world trade center kellen moore guy fieri ryan braun