Didn't like the report. April 13, 2011, 10:05 a.m. EDT Business inventories climb 0.5% in February WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Inventories at U.S. businesses rose a seasonally adjusted 0.5% in February, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Economists had been expecting inventories to rise 0.7%, compared to a revised 1.0% gain in January. Meanwhile, business sales rose 0.2%, compared to an increase of 2.0% in January. The inventory-to-sales ratio, an indication of demand, was flat at 1.24 in February.
Summary of Weekly Petroleum Data for the Week Ending April 8, 2011 U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 14.0 million barrels per day during the week ending April 8, 354 thousand barrels per day below the previous weekâs average. Refineries operated at 81.4 percent of their operable capacity last week. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging nearly 9.0 million barrels per day. Distillate fuel production decreased last week, averaging about 4.1 million barrels per day. U.S. crude oil imports averaged just under 8.6 million barrels per day last week, down by 379 thousand barrels per day from the previous week. Over the last four weeks, crude oil imports have averaged 8.9 million barrels per day, 316 thousand barrels per day below the same four-week period last year. Total motor gasoline imports (including both finished gasoline and gasoline blending components) last week averaged 889 thousand barrels per day. Distillate fuel imports averaged 101 thousand barrels per day last week. U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) increased by 1.6 million barrels from the previous week. At 359.3 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are above the upper limit of the average range for this time of year. Total motor gasoline inventories decreased by 7.0 million barrels last week and are near the lower limit of the average range. Both finished gasoline inventories and blending components inventories decreased last week. Distillate fuel inventories decreased by 2.7 million barrels last week and are above the upper limit of the average range for this time of year. Propane/propylene inventories increased by 1.0 million barrels last week and are in the lower limit of the average range. Total commercial petroleum inventories decreased by 5.0 million barrels last week. Total products supplied over the last four-week period has averaged nearly 19.1 million barrels per day, up by 0.1 percent compared to the similar period last year. Over the last four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied has averaged nearly 9.0 million barrels per day, down by 1.6 percent from the same period last year. Distillate fuel product supplied has averaged 3.7 million barrels per day over the last four weeks, up by 1.4 percent from the same period last year. Jet fuel product supplied is 1.6 percent lower over the last four weeks compared to the same four-week period last year.