Wholesale trade measures the dollar value of sales made and inventories held by merchant wholesalers. It is a component of business sales and inventories. Why Investors Care
| Released on 2/8/07 For Dec 2006 | ||||||||
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Highlights
Wholesale inventories, in a rare decline, slipped 0.5 percent in December and contrast with a 1.8 percent rise in sales that moved the stock-to-sales ratio to a lean 1.17 vs. 1.19 in the two prior months. The drawdown suggests that sales depleted inventories -- but note that wholesalers, at the base of the supply chain, generally clear inventories aggressively as the holiday period winds up. ISM data for January showed sharp declines in inventories that included evidence of sharp declines on the wholesale side.
Inventories appear to be on the move, and whether this is the result of strong sales or expectations of weak sales is still uncertain. Inventory data for December will be rounded out next Wednesday with the business inventory report that will include data on the retail side.
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