US Wholesale Inventories Decline

In a recent report by the US Census Bureau, it was revealed that wholesale inventories in the United States experienced a 0.5% decrease in December 2024, compared to the revised figures from November of the same year. The total inventories were reported at $898.5 billion, closely aligning with market expectations. On an annual basis, the total inventories saw a slight decline of 0.1%.

Sales Growth Amidst Inventory Adjustments

Despite the inventory adjustments, sales of merchant wholesalers showed resilience. Adjusted for seasonal variations and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, sales amounted to $686.5 billion. This figure represents a 1% increase from November's revised numbers and a 2.8% rise compared to the same period in 2023.

Inventory-to-Sales Ratio Declines

The inventory-to-sales ratio, based on seasonally adjusted data, was reported at 1.31. This marks a decrease from the 1.35 ratio recorded in December of the previous year, indicating a faster turnover of inventories relative to sales.