Wholesale Inventories Rose 0.1% in May, Sales Remain Flat

Inventories at U.S. wholesalers rose 0.1% in May, the Commerce Department said Friday, the 16th straight rise in stockpiles.

Sales by wholesalers remained unchanged, Commerce said in its report.

The increase in inventories followed a revised 0.7% increase in April, the report said. It was primarily led by increases in automobile and lumber stockpiling, Commerce reported.

The growing stocks of wholesale good are also due in part to increased demand and transportation bottlenecks, Bloomberg News reported.