Factory demand
Manufacturers' inventories to sales ratio
As of Apr 2026, manufacturers' inventories to sales ratio stands at 1.50 ratio (Federal Reserve, Census, BLS, and ATA via FRED), falling over the recent window.
What this measures and why it matters
- Manufacturers' inventories to sales ratio is a demand-side signal for U.S. manufacturing: it says how much work is flowing through the sector. Reading it before committing to capacity, staffing, or inventory keeps those decisions aligned with where real order volume is heading.
- The figure comes from Federal Reserve, Census, BLS, and ATA via FRED and is reported in ratio. MFG Calcs archives every published value, so the chart and table below show the full recorded history rather than a single snapshot, and they extend automatically as new data lands.
Current reading and trend
- Latest reading: 1.50 ratio for Apr 2026.
- Prior period: 1.51 (Mar 2026), a decline of 0.01.
- Compared with a year earlier, manufacturers' inventories to sales ratio is down 5.1%.
- Across the archived window the high was 1.58 in Apr 2025 and the low was 1.50 in Apr 2026.
- The series has moved down for 5 consecutive periods.
- 13 observations have been archived so far, and this page deepens automatically each time Federal Reserve, Census, BLS, and ATA via FRED publishes a new figure.
Recent observations
- Apr 2026: 1.50 ratio
- Mar 2026: 1.51 ratio
- Feb 2026: 1.52 ratio
- Jan 2026: 1.55 ratio
- Dec 2025: 1.56 ratio
- Nov 2025: 1.57 ratio
- Oct 2025: 1.56 ratio
- Sep 2025: 1.56 ratio
- Aug 2025: 1.56 ratio
- Jul 2025: 1.56 ratio
- Jun 2025: 1.57 ratio
- May 2025: 1.57 ratio
- Apr 2025: 1.58 ratio
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.