Which application of the lower of cost or market rule will generally result in the highest valuation for the ending inventory?

A) to each item of the inventory
B) to each major category of inventory
C) to the total inventory
D) all of these applications result in the same valuation for inventory

Applying the lower of cost or market rule to the total inventory allows for the aggregation of gains and losses within the inventory, potentially offsetting lower valued items with those that have retained or increased in value, generally resulting in a higher valuation compared to applying the rule to individual items or categories.