US DATA: Dec business inventories +0.8% vs +0.6% expected, as retail inv
were +0.4% and +0.7% excluding the -0.4% in retail motor vehicle inv.
Total inventories ex. retail auto +1.0% based on MNI calc. Business
sales +1.1% in Dec, keeping the inv/sales ratio unch at 1.25, down
slightly from 1.26 a year ago. NSA sales +8.8% yr/yr, and inv +8.4%
yr/yr. Factory inventories were already reported +1.1% for the month
while wholesale inventories +1.0%.