February Wholesale Inventories Rise 0.6%

.S. wholesale inventories rose 0.6% in February to $345.1 billion, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The level was slightly less than the 0.7% forecasted by economists, Bloomberg reported. Wholesale sales fell 0.4%, Commerce said.

Durable goods inventories, which include automobiles and computers, rose 0.6% following a 1.2% rise in January. Durables sales fell for a second straight month, falling 0.5%.

Wholesalers account for about one-fourth of all business inventories. Retailers and factories account for the rest.