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February 2024 sales of merchant wholesalers were $673.7 billion, up 2.3 percent (+/- 0.4 percent) from last month. End-of-month inventories were $901.1 billion, up 0.5 percent (+/- 0.4 percent) from last month. ![]()
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February 2024: +0.5 % Change in Inventories![]()
January 2024 (r): -0.2* % Change in Inventories
Almost 57% of Washington babies born last year had birth mothers in their 30s and older, according to provisional CDC data. buff.ly/3JfFCam
Venture capital funding declined by 30% worldwide in the first quarter as investor caution prevailed. China saw a 40% drop while US funding fell 29%, according to research firm Preqin.
The Bank of Canada is expected to hold its key rate at 5% for a sixth straight meeting, and avoid signaling that cuts are imminent. buff.ly/3PYwwT4
CPI rose 3.5% in March, higher than expectations. Shelter and energy costs drove the increase on the all-items index. Energy rose 1.1% after increasing 2.3% in February, while shelter costs were higher by 0.4% on the month and up 5.7% from a year ago.
Next month’s inbound cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports is expected to top 2 million units for the first time since last fall as imports grow despite new supply chain challenges.
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