Research >> Economics
Business Inventories down 3.2% in December
Sales. The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for November, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,016.6 billion, down 3.2 percent (±0.2%) from November 2008 and down 11.8 percent (±0.3%) from December 2007.
Inventories. Manufacturers’ and trade inventories, adjusted for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $1,460.5 billion, down 1.3 percent (±0.1%) from November 2008, but up 0.9 percent (±0.4%) from December 2007.
Inventories/Sales Ratio. The total business inventories/sales ratio based on seasonally adjusted data at the end of December was 1.44. The December 2007 ratio was 1.26.
Posted: February 12, 2009 Thursday 10:00 AM