Wholesale Inventories Rise 0.5%

Wholesale inventories increased 0.5% in August, while sales rose 0.9%, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The gain followed a revised 0.6% rise in July. Durable goods stockpiles rose 0.1%.

Economists had called for a 0.4% gain, Bloomberg reported.

July’s rise was initially reported as a 0.7% increase.

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