The following is the unedited transcript of the news release from the U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce.


Sales.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for December, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,147.3 billion, down 0.5 percent (±0.3%) from November 2007 and up 6.0 percent (±0.3%) from December 2006.

Inventories.

Manufacturers’ and trade inventories, adjusted for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $1,444.9 billion, up 0.6 percent (±0.1%) from November 2007 and up 4.0 percent (±0.3%) from December 2006.

Inventories/Sales Ratio.

The total business inventories/sales ratio based on seasonally adjusted data at the end of December was 1.26. The December 2006 ratio was 1.28.


Available at:

http://www.census.gov/mtis/www/current.html>http://www.census.gov/mtis/www/current.html