Business Inventories Rise 0.4% in July

Business inventories increased 0.4% in July, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The increase followed a revised 0.4% climb in June that was larger than originally reported.

Inventories were projected to increase 0.5%, Bloomberg reported.

Sales rose 0.7%, the largest gain since March, after a 0.4% increase in June.

Factory inventories, which make up about two-fifths of the total, rose 0.5%, while wholesale inventories, which make up about 30%, gained 0.8%.

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