Wholesale Inventories Rise in April

Wholesale inventories rose 0.6% in April as sales increased, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The inventories gain followed a 0.3% increase in March. Sales climbed 1.1%, following a 0.4% gain the previous month.

Durable goods stockpiles rose 1.1% and non-durables dipped 0.1%.

The increase surpassed economists’ projections of a 0.4% gain, Bloomberg reported.

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