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 December 2006 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 $337.1 billion, up 1.8% from the revised November level and were up 8.6% from the December 2005 level. The November preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.1 billion. December sales of durable goods increased 1.1% from last month and were up 7.0% from a year ago.

Compared to last month, sales of hardware and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies were up 4.2 percent and sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies increased 2.9 percent. December sales of nondurable goods were up 2.5 percent from last month and were up 10.2 percent from last year. Compared to last month, sales of petroleum and petroleum products increased 5.6 percent and sales of grocery and related products were up 3.1 percent.

Inventories

Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers'' sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were $393.8 billion at the end of December, down 0.5 percent (+/-0.3%) from last month, but were up 8.6 percent (+/-1.7%) from a year ago. The November preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.9 billion or 0.2 percent. End-of-month inventories of durable goods decreased 0.4 percent (+/-0.5%)* from November, but were up 8.3 percent (+/-2.3%) from last December.

Compared to last month, inventories of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were down 2.8 percent, while inventories of furniture and home furnishings increased 2.0 percent. End-of-month inventories of nondurable goods decreased 0.7 percent (+/-0.5%) from November, but were up 9.0 percent (+/-3.5%) compared to last December. Inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were down 6.3 percent from last month and inventories of farm product raw materials decreased 4.6 percent.

Inventories/Sales Ratio

The December inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers'' sales branches and offices, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 1.17. The December 2005 ratio was 1.17.


Available at:

http://www.census.gov/mwts/www/currentwhl.html