July 2012 business inventories were $1,592.0 billion, up 0.8 percent from June and up 5.4 percent from July 2011. Sales were $1,240.6 billion, up 0.9 percent from June and up 2.8 percent from July 2011.
August 2012 retail and food services sales were $406.7 billion, up 0.9 percent from the previous month and up 4.7 percent from one year earlier. Excluding autos, retail and food services sales in August were $332.5 billion, up 0.8 percent from July and up 3.4 percent from August 2011.
July 2012 wholesale inventories were $485.2 billion, up 0.7 percent from June and up 5.3 percent from one year earlier. Sales were $402.4 billion, down 0.1 percent from June but up 2.7 percent from July 2011.
The July 2012 international trade deficit increased 0.2 percent from June, to $42.0 billion. Exports fell 1.0 percent, to $183.3 billion, and imports declined 0.8 percent, to $225.3 billion.
Personal income in July 2012 rose 0.3 percent. Nominal and real personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased 0.4 percent. Nominal and real disposable personal income (DPI) rose 0.3 percent. The personal saving rate as a percentage of DPI was 4.2 percent in July.
