The following is the un-edited press release from U.S. Census Bureau.


MONTHLY WHOLESALE TRADE: SALES AND INVENTORIES
DECEMBER 2005
Sales


The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that December 2005 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 $314.9 billion, up 1.0 percent (+/-0.7%) from the revised November level and were up 8.3 percent (+/-1.2%) from the December 2004 level. The November preliminary estimate was virtually unchanged. December sales of durable goods increased 1.3 percent (+/-0.8%) from last month and were up 6.1 percent (+/-1.5%) from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of professional and commercial equipment and supplies increased 2.5 percent. December sales of nondurable goods were up 0.7 percent (+/-0.8%)* from last month and were up 10.5 percent (+/-1.5%) from last year. Compared to last month, sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 4.4 percent, while sales of farm product raw materials were down 4.6 percent.

Inventories

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $362.5 billion at the end of December, up 1.0 percent (+/-0.3%) from last month and were up 6.7 percent (+/-1.0%) from a year ago. The November preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.4 billion or 0.1 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods increased 0.6 percent (+/-0.5%) from November and were up 6.9 percent (+/-1.3%) from last December. Inventories of lumber and other construction materials increased 4.0 percent from last month and inventories of hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies increased 2.5 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods increased 1.6 percent (+/-0.5%) from November and were up 6.4 percent (+/-1.3%) compared to last December. Inventories of farm product raw materials increased 5.6 percent from last month and inventories of drugs and druggists’ sundries increased 3.9 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio

The December inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.15. The December 2004 ratio was 1.17.




Available at: http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/mwts.html