Business Inventories Rise 0.6%

Business inventories increased 0.6% in August, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The increase followed a revised 1.1% increase in July, which was the largest increase in more than two years. Sales gained 0.1% following a revised 0.7% increase.

Economists had forecast inventories would rise 0.5%, Bloomberg reported.

Factory inventories gained 0.1%, while wholesale stockpiles gained 0.8%. Sales at manufacturers fell 0.6%, while wholesalers’ sales gained 0.5%.

When sales are growing, it usually means trucking is seeing additional demand to deliver goods and restock shelves.