Reply #54: Wholesale inventories, sales plunge in October

[Pale Blue Dot]

WASHINGTON - Wholesalers cut back on their inventories in October by the largest amount since the period following the 2001 terrorist attacks while they watched their sales plunge by a record amount.

Analysts predict more grim news in the months ahead as the current recession deepens.

The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that wholesalers, the companies in the supply chain between manufacturers and retailers, reduced their inventories by 1.1 percent in October, the biggest cutback since a similar drop in inventories in November 2001.

The inventory decline was much bigger than the 0.2 percent decrease economists expected.

Sales at the wholesale level plunged by 4.1 percent in October, the largest decline on record.

The inventories-to-sales ratio increased to 1.16 in October, up from 1.12 in September. That means that it would take wholesalers 1.16 months to sell off their stockpiles at the current sales pace.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28157537/