Business Inventories, Sales Rise

U.S. business inventories rose 0.4% in April as sales rose, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The 0.4% gain in inventories was more than a 0.3% increase forecast by analysts, Bloomberg reported.

Business sales rose 0.7%.
 
Retail inventories, which account for a little over a third of all business stockpiles, rose 0.3% following a 0.6% drop. Retail sales excluding food fell 0.1%.
 
When sales are growing, it usually means trucking is seeing additional demand to deliver goods and restock shelves.

Higher inventories mean goods are not being sold at a rapid pace, which could lower demand for trucking services.