Wholesale Inventories

Who: U.S. Census Bureau

When: 6 weeks after the close of the reference month

What: Wholesale Inventories measures both sales and inventories at the wholesale (as opposed to retail or manufacturing) stage of production.

Why: The Wholesale Inventories report is watched for trends in consumer spending. Any changes in the key inventory to sales ratio can forecast future production levels. If sales grow faster than production and the ratio is low, economists know that production must pick up in the coming months.