Inventories Down
Inventories at U.S. wholesalers dipped 0.8 percent in December after a record gain of 1.6 percent in November, the largest increase since July 2004, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The fall in inventories had experts worried because they believe the economy can’t recover until inventories improve and companies become more optimistic. While inventories dropped, sales at the wholesale level in December inched up 0.8 percent. This follows a 3.6 percent jump in sales in November. Economists had expected only a 0.2 percent rise in December sales.
