Wholesale revenues in December were $440 billion, down 4.5 percent from December 2014 and down 0.3 percent from November, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
December sales of durable goods were up 0.3 percent from last month, but down 3 percent from a year ago. Sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 2.5 percent from last month, while sales of electrical and electronic goods were down 1.9 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were down 0.9 percent from November and were down 5.9 percent from last December. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were down 4.5 percent from last month.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $582 billion at the end of December, down 0.1 percent from the revised November level, but were up 1.9 percent from the December 2014 level.
December inventories of durable goods were down 0.3 percent from last month, but were up 0.5 percent from a year ago. Inventories of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 4.4 percent from last month. Inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.1 percent from November and were up 4.1 percent from last December. Inventories of chemicals and allied products were up 2.3 percent from last month, while inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were down 7.8 percent.
The December inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.32. The December 2014 ratio was 1.24.
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