Business Inventories Rise 0.1% in January; Sales Up 0.4%

nventories at U.S. businesses rose 0.1% in January as companies struggled to keep up with rising sales, the Commerce Department said Friday.

January marked the fifth straight increase in stockpiles at manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers. Commerce also said sales rose 0.4% after a 1.4% gain the month before.

If inventories and sales are increasing, it likely means trucks are seeing an increase in business to delivery new goods to stores.

The inventory-to-sales ratio, which measures how long it would take to work down stocks at the current sales pace, held steady at a record-low 1.33 months. Economists told Bloomberg that factories likely would have to step up production to replenish stockpiles.

Stockpiles at retailers rose 0.1%, Commerce said, while inventories at general merchandise stores rose 0.2%.

Commerce said earlier this week wholesale inventories rose 0.1% in January.

11235