Wholesale Inventories Rise 0.4%

Wholesale inventories rose 0.4% in January, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The gain followed a revised 1.1% increase in December that was slightly higher than originally reported.

The increase was below economists’ median forecast of a 0.4% gain, Bloomberg reported.

Wholesale sales dipped 0.1%, the first decline since May. Durable goods stockpiles rose 0.8%.

Wholesale inventories account for about a fourth of total business stockpiles, while retailers and factories account for the rest.