Business Inventories Rise in December

Business inventories rose 0.1% in December, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The increase followed a revised 0.2% rise in November that was smaller than previously reported. Sales at factories, wholesalers and retailers increased 0.3%, after rising 0.9% the prior month.

The December inventories gain was smaller than economists’ median forecast of a 0.2% rise, Bloomberg News reported.

Retailer inventories increased 0.5%.

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