Updated at: 02/08/2013 4:08 PM STOCKPILES DIP: U.S. wholesalers cut their stockpiles 0.1 percent in December after a 0.4 percent gain in November. The decline suggests businesses were cautious at the end of a weak quarter. SALES COOL OFF: Wholesale business sales stayed level in December. That followed a 2.2 percent increase in November, the largest in nearly two years. DRAG ON GROWTH: Less restocking reduces factory production, which slows economic growth. A big decline in restocking was a major reason the government estimated last week that the economy shrank in the October-December quarter.
By The Associated Press
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