The US Census Bureau announced Tuesday that November 2010 sales of merchant wholesalers, seasonally adjusted, were $370.1 billion, up 1.9 percent (+/- 0.4 percent) from the revised October level, and up 12.2 percent (+/- 1.4 percent) from the November 2009 level.
In the automotive sector, November sales were down 3.6 percent from October, but still up 1.2 percent from November 2009. In the metals sector, November sales rose 2.1 percent month-over-over month, but increased 29.6 percent year-over-year.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers, seasonally adjusted, were $425.5 billion at the end of November, down 0.2 percent (+/- 0.4 percent) from the revised October level, but were up 8.4 percent (+/- 1.2 percent) from a year ago.
Inventories in the automotive sector were up 1.9 percent in November over October, and increased 3.6 percent from November 2009. In the metals sector, November inventories were up 0.8 percent month-over-month, but up 15.7 percent year-over-year.