MNI DATA ANALYSIS: US Dec Business Inventories Rise 0.6%>

--Retail Inventories Up 0.9% 

--Total Business Inventories Excluding Retail Auto Rise 0.6%

--Unpublished Retail Components Up 1.2%, MNI Calculation Shows

By Harrison Clarke and Shikha Dave

     WASHINGTON (MNI) - The value of business inventories in December 

was up 0.6% from November as expected by both an MNI survey and the 

Bloomberg consensus, data released by the Commerce Department Monday 

morning showed. 

     Retail inventories posted 0.9% gain, while the wholesale 

inventories report showed a 1.1% increase in the month, while factory 

inventories were already reported to be flat. 

     According to an MNI calculation, if a 0.6% increase in motor 

vehicle inventories had been excluded, total business inventories would 

have been up 0.6% in December.  

     After excluding the increase in motor vehicle inventories, the 

remaining retail categories were up 1.0%. All of the other retail 

inventory components were generally up in December. 

     At the same time, the relatively large unpublished retail category 

was up 1.2% following a 0.3% decrease in November, according to an 

MNI calculation. 

--BUSINESS SALES FALL IN DECEMBER

     December business sales posted a 1.0% decrease in the month, and 

retail sales excluding food services were down 1.8% in December. There 

was a previously announced 0.2% decline for factory shipments, which are 

equal to sales in this report, and wholesale sales posted a 1.0% 

decline. 

     The inventory-to-sales ratio was up in December to 1.38 from 1.36 

in November due to faster growth in inventories compared to sales in 

December. The ratio was up from the 1.34 level seen in December 2017, as 

sales and inventory growth has slightly outpaced sales growth over the 

last year. 

     ** MNI Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 ** 

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