November 16, 2005 8:45 AM, EST

Business Inventories Gain in September, Commerce Reports

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usiness inventories rose 0.5% in September following a 0.4% gain in August, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The value of goods on hand at manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers rose to an adjusted $1.282 trillion, Commerce said.

Sales rose 0.6% in September following a 0.7% gain in August.

When inventories and sales are growing, it usually means trucking is seeing additional demand to deliver goods and restock shelves.

Economists had expected inventories to rise 0.3%, Bloomberg reported.

Inventories at retailers rose 0.9% after a 0.9% increase the previous month.