Wholesale Trade Hits Second Straight Monthly Record

Econintersect:  The U.S. Department of Commerce has reported that December was the second consecutive month with all-time record wholesale sales.  In addition the four consecutive month increase in wholesale sales increases was another historic first for the final four months of a year.From the latest U.S. Census Bureau News:

Sales. The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that December 2010 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $371.5 billion, up 0.4 percent (+/-0.7%)* from the revised November level and were up 11.6 percent (+/-1.8%) from the December 2009 level.

Inventories. Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, were $430.5 billion at the end of December, up 1.0 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised November level and were up 10.5 percent (+/-1.4%) from a year ago.

Inventories/Sales Ratio. The December inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.16. The December 2009 ratio was 1.17.

Sources:  GEI Analysis and U.S. Census Bureau News