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.